Artbeat

A A A Comments Thursday, Sep 2 2004

Colby Katz

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Genesis Fine Arton Las Olas Boulevard has a lot to offer within its walls. What Genesis doesn't have, owner Gabriele Rasnick notes, are reproductions. The gallery carries only original paintings and limited-edition bronze sculptures made by dozens of international artists, ranging from the neo-romanticism of Stuart Glazer to the gracefully sculpted figures of Mario Jason. The latter, a dance devotee who was schooled in anatomy, produces bronze ballerinas and jazz dancers, capturing the elegant movement of his subjects with all the precise details of the human figure. It probably helps that, in addition to his artistry, Jason is a master of the bronze process; he's in charge of the molding, the foundry, and the finishing of each piece. Unlike the realism employed in Jason's sculptures, Glazer's paintings stretch the human body, aiming for underlying emotion rather than outer form. The distorted, rhythmic figures -- all with closed eyes -- evoke a sense of inner attentiveness. Glazer's painting technique subtly reveals his influences, from late-19th-century Italian painter Amedeo Modigliani to Viennese symbolist Gustav Klimt. More on the impressionist side is Argentinean artist Patricia Boyd. Her lively brush strokes hardly betray their soothing subject matter, often comprising idyllic scenes of women and young girls leisurely frolicking in the outdoors. In contrast to Boyd's undefined impressionism are the sharp, surrealist paintings of Ferjo. More than simply casting an unexplained image of the subconscious, Ferjo's approach is rational too. Not only are his paintings rife with symbolism (pencils, egg shells, and fish turn up in every piece) but Ferjo pays homage to the masters; modified versions of René Magritte and Van Gogh adorn the walls of his fictional interiors. Viewing Ferjo's paintings is akin to taking an art history quiz. The gallery is open seven days a week. (Genesis Fine Art, 803 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 954-467-6066, www.genesislasolas.com.) -- Jason Budjinski