SANTA MONICA, CA.- The First Independent Gallery presents Marlene Capell “Variations”, on view through March 10, 2007. Marlene Capell’s recent abstract paintings refer to remnants of ancient structures as the source for her compositions. Much like ancient archeological sites, the canvases reflect the passage and process of time as the surfaces are built up with paint, layer over layer, obliterating and reworking, concealing the past but leaving hints of what came before. Ultimately, it is this evidence of the painting process that becomes the focal point of her paintings.

Capell says of her work, “I visualize these paintings as a reflection of life as well as a connection to our ancient beginnings and other cultures through time. I begin by building non-objective architectonic forms, which evolve from my fascination with Stonehenge and the Lion Gate of Mycenae. I use a specific kind of formal structure to provide order out of the vast multitude of available choices. Rather than to perceptually render or recreate the appearance of these monolithic structures, working non-objectively allows me to speculate, change and uncover.

“Just as each civilization is built upon the structure of previous ones, I believe our lives are a process of building one experience upon another. As many of these paintings are painted over previous ones, revealing the history of themselves, they become a metaphor for growth and evolution. For me this is also the exchange between the careful rational mind and the desire for spontaneity and a measure of surprise. The challenge becomes just how much freedom I can allow myself.”

Marlene Capell attended the University of California, Los Angeles. She has been exhibiting regularly since 1989.