Arthur Secunda is a painter in his mid-thirties holding his first one-man show in Los Angeles at the Ankrum Gallery during April. He demonstrates an enormous interest in the oil medium through a vigorous impasto manner which pays its respects to a number of 20th century leaders. An early canvas, Still Life, 1961, is worked in slab-like areas of heavy pigment in a de Stael like application. Market by the Sea, 1962, shows a Hofmannesque paint welter. Bissiere is suggested by Vineyard, 1962. Reflections of Venice, 1962, reveals a paraphrase of the border forms and paint handling of Georges Rouault’s flower pieces of the middle thirties. In the newest paintings Secunda’s color is always clear and attractive. His technique is both spontaneous and disciplined. The forms which the painter finds in his work are really the conventions of more traditional painting applied to non-figurative work. Secunda shows an interest in the most accomplished impasto painters of our time. Once the artist’s love of painting is brought into the service of a deeply felt emotion he will be prepared to make a personal contribution.

—Gerald Norland