Week #33, Lacquer Ink II

Dusti Bongé, Untitled (Blue Grid with Black Splotches), 1989, mixed media on paper, 15” x 11”.

This week’s work by Dusti Bongé is another one where she makes use of the viscous lacquer ink. Moreover, this piece is quite possibly painted on a very unique sample of handmade paper. We mentioned Dusti’s friend, Joey Rice, last week. In addition to being an abstract painter, one of the creative endeavors Joey started pursuing when they were friends was making her own paper. It was a different way to explore material quality and texture.

This work by Dusti is executed on a beautiful piece of paper with soft, slightly frayed edges and wonderful texture in the pulp of the paper. So It is likely this is a piece of paper Joey made.

The work itself offers an interesting juxtaposition of several totally unconstrained black forms, or “splotches,” against a clearly delineated blue grid. The grid is reminiscent of the ones Dusti pursued in the 1970s. These two, the grid and the formless pools of black are completely opposite approaches to abstract composition. On the one hand Dusti is allowing the black ink to run and pool on its own without constraint. On the other hand she is introducing a structure as if to contain the unruly forms.

Added to these overlapping contrary forces are some subtle, yet gleaming spots of color, pink, red, yellow and green, that shine through the blue grid. The result is a work, that despite having dark amorphous shapes dominating the left and right sides of the composition, is nonetheless vibrant and balanced.