Critical Review of Alexander Creswell and Dee Shapiro Exhibitions at New York Galleries

Alexander Creswell presents eighty-three watercolor views of châteaux and palazzi at Hirshl Adler Galleries from April 24, 2004, with works characterized by formulaic color and emphasis on surface embellishment over architectural substance. His depictions of Venice omit modern elements like water taxis, creating a nostalgic vision where gondolas appear without tourists. Creswell employs diagonal light shafts and saturated blue skies across subjects ranging from New York's Central Synagogue to Venice's Santa Maria della Salute, with a reddish tonality artificially warming motifs. The artist's approach aligns more with commercial traditions than architectural rigor, prioritizing glamour over structural accuracy. Dee Shapiro exhibits small oil streetscapes of Havana at Andre Zarre Gallery from May 1, 2004, featuring two-and-a-half by ten inch panels that distill Cuban scenes without photographic precision. Her work bypasses monuments to capture typical neighborhood vistas, conveying desolation through sagging walls and blackened windows. Shapiro's February 2003 trip to Cuba inspired these arrangements of motifs that evoke a sense of place through color play within scenic designs. While Creswell's gold-framed works target patrons with deep pockets, Shapiro's modest format carries expressive power through vivacious distillations of depressed but colorful locales.