The fine art of scribbling

Some artists are searching, trying to make sense of something that plagues or intrigues them. Marianne Kolb, who is exhibiting new works this month at b. sakata garo at 923 20th Street, is one such artist. The act of seeking is fine when others aren’t involved; it’s hard for a viewer to make sense of your search unless you get lucky and the results are glaringly obvious. What works in Kolb’s paintings is the stunning look and mood evoked. They are all portraits of sorts, nameless people that are frantically scribbled out. For Kolb, they are vehicles for discovery. By constantly making marks, she’s trying to explore the emotions of the empty figures. And even if we don’t see results, we do see the endless layers of mark-making that take on a beauty all their own. The colors and depth that Kolb ends up with make even the emptiest search completely worthwhile.