To immediately associate the constructions of San Francisco sculptor Faralla with those of Louise Nevelson is perhaps inevitable since both work with scraps of wood of all sizes and shapes, arrang­ing them into intricate patterns and blanketing the whole with a single, solid, velvety color. But the parallel ends there, for where Nevelson concen­trates on more formalized effects, Fa­ralla often explodes with a profusion of rhythmic projections evoking a wealth of responses. One may envision fabulous many-faceted gems, or the agonizing whirls of sunspots, or the soaring ac­tivity of Rauen Cathedral towers, or perhaps the Futurism of Severini or Boccioni. In common with all of these impressions lies the same comfortable order and control, and the same splen­did exuberance. Faralla has selected a demanding medium in which to work. The deliberate placement of hundreds of intricate pieces of wood into oval, round, square and boxed compositions, and on posts, pillars, and screens with the intention of capturing and then directing visual responses is no idle task, and though the artist does not always succeed (particularly in the more recent “pillar” pieces) he nonetheless merits close attention for the effort.

—Curt Opliger