"Pulse"
(5/5/06) Mel Klayman. Written on the occasion for an exhibition at Kidder Smith Gallery. Pulse is a new and exciting body for work by David Moore, a leading Boston abstract painter. Known for his monochromatic paintings saturated in color of grids and lyrical studies of vertical lines, the new intricately composed paintings of Pulse are an emotive expression of color and pulsating energy. The unpredictable twists and turns of their gestural markings and bold lyrical ribbons of color create a universe of both motion and emotion. Music has always been central to Moore’s inspiration and Pulse continues these explorations and informs the work accordingly. The flowing ribbon-like markings of the Pulse paintings can be viewed as the staff lines of a complex musical composition. (It should be noted that Moore is an accomplished musician who creates music on unconventional instruments such as the musical saw.) Although previous work such as the Vibe series reflected the flow and vibrations of music, the new paintings of Pulse are permeated with rhythmic energy and of the sounds of instruments that are heard simultaneously. The multi-layers of the paintings are as complex as a jazz improvisation. The natural world has always impacted Moore’s world and the Pulse also continue his exploration of nature and love of place. In fact, the inspiration of the Pulse paintings grew out of a series of gouache drawings that Moore created while on his annual summer retreat to the family cottage in Freedom, The drawings (several of which are also on display) are beautiful and lyrical studies of the natural world. Pulse is a unique union of music and nature in which these two continuums are activated and unified through the pulsating flow of line, color, and gesture markings.