The diversified character of selections included in young Arthur Okamura’s second one-man show at the Feingarten Galleries really does more harm than good. Where usually such a wealth of disparate media might demonstrate the scope of the artist’s interests or proficiency, in this case it accents areas of decided weakness. However, in the midst of the oils, watercolors, crayon, pastel, and pen and ink drawings, etc., there are pieces which certainly demonstrate the artist’s firm control of most of them, and often manifest his knowledgeable and versatile application in obtaining aggressive linear and textural effects. Okamura is at his best in his inventive use of pastels and is most impressive when his subjects get as far afield from visual reality as possible. Particularly strong is Burning Bush and Night Storm, both watercolors composed with imagination and vibrant action. Portrait studies in red or black crayon compare favorably with the intensity of feeling and incisive investigation of form characteristic of a Kokoschka or Kollwitz. The inclusion of some rather indifferent sketches after da Vinci, Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Michelangelo seemed to serve no apparent purpose except to keep company with some peculiarly inept and melancholy flower paintings in oil.
––Curt Opliger
