Mario Naves's Collage Exhibition at Elizabeth Harris Gallery in 2003

Mario Naves, art critic for The New York Observer, presented nine modestly scaled collages at Elizabeth Harris Gallery in New York from September 4 to October 4, 2003. The works grew from his dissatisfaction with painting, using techniques like dripping, scraping, and sponging paint on paper, which was then torn and rearranged. This method allowed Naves to focus on color and form while avoiding the hazards of traditional brushwork. His collages, characterized by sensuous and discreet compositions, were compared to the subtle tonal shifts in the work of Japanese-American painter Kenzo Okada. Naves's approach emphasized visual appearance over formalist theory, with each piece developing through accretion around an initial color element. The exhibition confirmed his dual role as both critic and artist, highlighting his hand and eye in artmaking. Titles such as 'Boy Genius' and 'Hobnob' were noted as potentially out of sync with the intuitive adjustments in the images. The gallery was located at 529 W. 20th Street, between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues, in New York, NY 10001.