To art critics, Yu is so beautiful

Friday, Jan. 30, 2004 | 8:35 a.m.

But there is only so much an art critic can say, literally.

On Saturday New York City art critics will use sound and rhythm to explore Yu's work by reading their own nature-themed poetry inspired by her paintings.

Donald Kuspit, Carter Ratcliff, Robert Morgan and Jeffrey Wright will join James Mann, curator of Las Vegas Art Museum on West Sahara Avenue, where Yu's "Forces of Nature III" is on display through Sunday.

"These are all critics who have written about the work of Marlene Tseng Yu whose exhibits are ongoing," Mann said.

The Taiwan-born, New York City-based artist creates immense, nature-inspired paintings resembling oceanic and lavalike images.

Yu's mission, she says, is to "capture the spirit of the universe, its rhythm and movements, its quiet and angry moods, its colors and forms."

In a 1999 review of Yu's work, Kuspit, who is a contributing editor of Artforum and an art history professor at State University of New York at Stony Brook, wrote, "The first thing one experiences in Marlene Yu's paintings is their remarkable vigor and scope, and yet, at the same time, their uncanny accuracy.

"It is as though Yu has taken a detail of nature and expanded it until it is a cosmos in its own right."

In addition to reviews, Kuspit has written a handful of poems on Yu's work.

In "yuscape ii" Kuspit writes, "It all began here, in these colors, which cascade over consciousness, leaving a wake of wonder. They are as ceaseless as rain in the forest, endlessly reheating what the touch of thought cools."

In Mann's "Forces of Nature III," he writes, "When storms of doubt and howling fear assail, sweeping in from distant summer thunder, fields that shone with promise fill with hail. Your scattered nest of thought is buried under."

Mann, who returned to the museum in November after a controversial departure two years ago (involving artistic differences), organized the event.

"The relationship between literature, painting and music is very thoroughgoing," Mann said. "For the last two centuries all movements in painting have been accompanied by movements in poetry and vice versa."

Earlier this month Milton Esterow, editor and publisher of ARTnews, gave a lecture at the museum on "How To Look At Art" organized by museum adviser Joseph Palermo.

Immediately following Saturday's poetry reading there will be an open forum with the critics. Mann said the guest presentations are the museum's effort to increase membership, gain recognition and encourage interaction.

"We'd like to impress upon the community the intellectual ambitions of the museum," Mann said. "We want to set an example of the serious discussion of art.

"We will increasingly do so as our budget allows. It's a valuable direction we want to expand and pursue. We hope to be constantly acquiring new members. We have over 2,000 members now, the highest level we've had."

Visiting speakers are paid for their efforts. But, Mann said, "It's a comparatively small expense. Our budget is comparatively small."

Mann was a student of American poet James Dickey (who also wrote the book "Deliverance") and has been writing a book of poetry, which he hopes to publish later this year.

The 300-page effort is a comic poem on human mortality that he has been writing for 15 years.

"It's deliberately satirical and I hope generally funny in places. But it tackles serious issues, growth and maturity and death.

Mann also writes catalogs and text for LVAM exhibitions. During his two-year absence from the museum, Mann was in South Carolina with his elderly parents.

When asked how he felt about being back at the museum, Mann said, "It's a bright new day. I'm happy to be back. It's refreshing. There's a lot of work to be done."