Sky-Scapes Revel in the Ambiguity of Nature

Landscapes are a timeless subject for artists in awe of natural phenomena or interested in exploring issues of internal expression through the forum of nature. For Merrilyn Duzy, there is intrigue and metaphorical potential to be tapped by tilting the gaze upward. The sky figures strongly in Duzy’s exhibition, “Elemental Forces,” at Orlando Gallery.

True to the stereotype of sky imagery as being calm and reflective, Duzy’s sky-scapes exude a certain tranquillity. But the calm surfaces are also somewhat deceptive, flecked with tension on various levels. In the artist’s line of vision, landscape tends to play a supporting role.

For all the inherent beauty here, we also get a sense of accumulating energy, the hints of downpours to come. In a few works, the artist also depicts volcanic activity as a sight for curious eyes--inspiring fear and admiration.

Pleasant as the imagery should be in “Gathering Storm,” the tempestuous clutch of clouds over a shadowy landscape is nearly apocalyptic, the color inflamed by twilight.

The cheekily titled “Top of the World” is a bird’s-eye view of a bed of clouds. The pillowy tufts look inviting, but, of course, are less than hospitable to human interaction. They’re above the world, not of it.

“Communion” depicts a sunset, with a beatific orb settling into the horizon line, between the sea and a cloud-mottled sky. Such a scene is the stuff of a million postcards and Sunday shutterbug pictures.

Duzy, however, seems to both embrace the cliche of the scene and lean toward a more intense interpretation, with a skewed sense of drama that tweaks expectations.

And so it goes with Duzy’s art, tapping into the historical models of painters such as sky-oriented artist J.W. Turner while carving out her own niche. She’s onto something, turning a subject that we take for granted into a fruitful artistic investigation.

Duzy’s art has a clever, dual agenda, in that it relies on a faithful realist’s ability to report on what is seen, but is also ambiguous. Clouds are like that, abstract and ever-changing forms, something unearthly.

The Sharpened Eye: Veteran artist and printmaker Sidney Chafetz, now showing at the University of Judaism’s Platt Gallery, is a satirist with a soft touch. If we enter the show, entitled “Homage and Satire,” expecting to encounter scathing, angry imagery, we leave with a gentler, humane impression.

Here, the Ohio-based artist presents a generous sampling of his impressive etchings and woodcuts, taken from a 40-year period.

As the title suggests, the subject matter and attitude in the work covers a wide berth, from affectionate family tributes to rough-edged, charismatic portraits of celebrated figures--Kafka, Mark Twain, Beckett, Freud, Isaac Singer and Ben Gurion among them.

Yes, we do find Ronald Reagan in a contextually compromising position, as the grinning face inserted into the regal Spanish scenario of “History: After Velasquez.” But even here, political satire is delivered with a kind smirk. Chafetz pulls out touches of absurd comic relief as well, with the occasional upside-down head.

While we may tend to associate the satirical woodcut milieu with the German Expressionist tradition, Chafetz’s focus, as he explains in a statement, is on life “as a Jew, a teacher and an artist.” He makes his points sharply and conjures images with boldness, but always with an underlying humanity.

DETAILS

* Merrilyn Duzy: “Elemental Forces,” through Oct. 25 at Orlando Gallery, 14553 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; (818) 789-6012.

* Sidney Chafetz: “Satire and Homage,” through Oct. 28 at Platt Gallery, University of Judaism, 15600 Mulholland Drive. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; (310) 476-9777, Ext. 276.