Sonia Balassanian has a remarkable ability to create monochrome pictures. In most of her works, including the present one, Balassanian seeks visual balance in controlled brushstrokes and the emergence of an abstract setting. Her abstraction is of a musical, poetic, natural, and intuitive quality. A fantastic world of crisscross patterns and dream-like landscapes is behind her undulating rhythms. This abstract expression, which is somehow reminiscent of old Persian practice books, comprises dense, thick layers of lines in a way that discovery of a mysterious quality beyond it stimulates the curiosity of spectators.
This style of Balassanian’s work can be traced to her first exhibition in the mid-1970s at Zarvan Gallery. A commentary on her work reads, “A major emphasis has been given to visual pulse, a pulse that is created by running paint on canvas and skillful composition of random forms to turn every single painting into a pleasing symphony of exhilarating forms. Balassanian finely juxtaposes recurring brushstrokes or scratches as building blocks of her work. Delicacy of these recurring small entities reminds us of a rainstorm on a ranch. Sometimes a gust of wind stirs the ripples; at times, a passing calm makes the raindrops heavier and more scattered though.”[1] Abstract works of Balassanian are considered landscape paintings more than anything else. Attachment of the artist to nature is revealed as visual poetry. Inspired by the landscape of her hometown, Balassanian makes use of abstraction to achieve an intuitive understanding of composition and poetic denotations.
Sonia Balassanian has had extensive activities in Armenia and the US in recent years, experimenting with collage, installation art, performance art, and video art. In these works, unlike the abstract works of the 1970s, Balassanian strives to discuss women’s issues in the context of a modern world.
[1] Behrouz Soor Esrafil, Ayandegan, 13 June 1976
