The opening at Brian Morris Gallery is packed to the gills from the moment one arrives to the waning moments of the afterparty at a nearby bar. The gallery is buzzing with the energy one only finds in young spaces where the coordinators feel excited to be carving their own path through the brackish bog that is the New York art market.

This is not another pretentious young space, showing work of underground talents to the people who already know their work while they pat each other on the back and glare disdainfully at the new faces in the crowd. Brian Morris Gallery is very much about the integrity of the art, and this is highly evident in its latest show titled "Tectonic Drift."

Strive to innovate, but also be honest

It is readily apparent when someone is reaching for something out of their grasp and they try to make up the gap between their abilities and their ambitions by faking the funk. It’s a predicament many artists find themselves in by extending their practice beyond their capabilities in an effort to force growth. On the other hand, when an artist is working too far within their comfort zone, it is easily recognizable as well; the work ends up somewhere that feels too safe and cushy, never really testing it’s own boundaries or attempting something new. There is a tired flatness that brings everything down like the hole in a worn blanket.

I find that the best work is that of an artist who is in tune with his or her strengths and weaknesses, knowing when to push their chops and when to hold something back. In this case the work often beams with an inner truth and a fidelity that comes from knowing one’s materials while still yearning to find something the artist has never seen before.

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Painting by Catrin Walz Stein

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