Robert Bordo's 2008 Exhibition at Alexander and Bonin Showcases Painterly Intelligence

Robert Bordo presented 14 landscape canvases at Alexander and Bonin from September 6 to October 11, 2008, located at 132 Tenth Ave. at 19th Street in New York City. The Montreal-born painter's work demonstrates a tension between indulgence and restraint, with compositions featuring free, lyrical brushstrokes in monochrome colors. Paintings like "Heatwave," "Green Girl," "Cold Shower," "Buddy," and "Skunk Cabbage" explore the materiality of paint through varied palettes and textures. Bordo's approach aligns with an American tradition, referencing Alex Katz's "Black Brook" series and Milton Avery's compositions in works such as "Creek" and "rut." His painting is compared to contemporaries like Raoul De Keyser, Thomas Nozkowski, and Merlin James, though Bordo emphasizes sheer delectation in paint application. The exhibition highlights Bordo's focus on painterly experience rather than conceptual commentary, engaging viewers with the dichotomy of illusion and actuality in painting. This review was originally published in the New York Sun on September 11, 2008, under the title "The Heady Hedonist."