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For Larry Horowitz, travel and seeking new vistas to paint are essential to life. Travel helps fulfill his need to grow not only as an artist but also as a human being. And, as Larry often reminds me, plein air painting continues to be a most exciting adventure: You have to go out and find the landscape because to paint only in the studio renders your subjects too synthetic and analytical "spontaneity is everything!" While on painting road trips, Horowitz loves being exposed to the elements -- wind, rain, cold, heat, humidity -- because being directly impacted by the atmosphere of a place allows him to perceive its spirit and mood, and bring it back with him to the studio. The landscape paintings in this collection reveal this keen sensitivity to nature, along with Larry's obvious delight in observing both the macro and the micro aspects of his environment. In this new work, Horowitz appears to be easing away from and redefining the impact of the 19th-century Hudson River School of painters on his work. Because of their romantic, almost glowing use of light these artists were also referred to as Luminsts. "Spontaneity is everything!"
-Larry HorowitzWhen Larry spoke with me about this new direction, he said that it would be easy to continue being influenced by the Luminists because he truly loves that style of painting. Yet, as an artist he felt that he must find new ways to challenge himself and avoid clinging to the familiar.
"It is too intoxicating; I could easily paint such landscapes again and again. Many artists have fallen into this trap. They become enamored with a particular subject or style and end up making the same painting over and over again. I want to do the opposite, push my personal boundaries to the limit and discover what I don't know; then I can discover new visual challenges for myself." One of the methods Larry has been using to accomplish this goal is "breaking" his paintings. The technique involves putting splatters of paint in areas where they normally wouldn't belong, and then improvising on the result. This method, long favored by abstract expressionists, forces Horowitz to confront the unknown and the unexpected, and then engage it, and has resulted in some very exciting work. His use of this splatter technique and the increasing scale of his paintings set these new works apart from earlier works, yet without losing his artistic continuity. Warm, rich colors and tones pervade the new collection. "The landscape paintings in this collection reveal this keen sensitivity to nature, along with Larry's obvious delight in observing both the macro and the micro aspects of his environment."
They are Larry's homage to sky, land and water. Whether observing the mellow haze of an afternoon sun or watching passing clouds cast shadows on rocks and river, Larry's keen eye focuses on specific moments and places, and then his hand captures it for us in oil, pastel, or watercolor. Each work pays homage to the unique natural splendor of the particular region he is painting, the exact color of its sky, how sunshine reflects off its foliage, or the special mood of its atmosphere. Like the renowned Hudson River School painters Thomas Moran and Albert Bierstadt, Larry is an artist with immense talent and skill whose work speaks from both his senses and his heart, preserves these fleeting moments of natural serenity for all us to enjoy. As we begin a new year in nature's cycle, and witness a new direction emerging in Larry Horowitz's art, I extend my thanks not only to the artist for all the beauty he has added to my life, but to the many collectors who have shared my appreciation and love of his work, and helped so much to support the Gallery and Larry's career over the last ten years. I am indeed proud to represent the work of this remarkable artist and look forward to many more years of collaboration with him, bringing his unique vision to your attention.
---Franklin Bowles
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