Marlene Persky makes her mark

By Chet Williamson

Although she has been involved in art all her life, Marlene Persky has been reluctant to exhibit her work. It was something she had always done for her own pleasure. Now, at 60, the Worcester-based artist is finally presenting her first show.

Appropriately called Making My Mark, it is a puissant little exhibit currently on display — most suitably — at The First Show Gallery at C.C. Lowell.

The work is a collection of 14 dramatic drawings, a dozen of which were done in 2007. Two are from 1989, but are included because they are connected to the others in approach.

What is immediately striking about Persky's style is her sense of fearlessness. Whether using hard pastels, pencils or charcoal, the artist attacks the page with bold and determined strokes, making her mark with thrilling confidence.

Disappear by Marlene Persky.

Hung on three walls, the show can loosely be divided into four sections. The first wall, which is to the left as you enter the gallery, features three drawings united in subject matter. They are of Middle Eastern women in burqas. The first piece is called "Sisters." Sitting in between two women, covered in veils, is a third wearing slacks and looking very casual and Western. The jarring contrast makes for a subtle statement on oppression.

The second drawing is a large piece called "Disappear," which could also be interpreted as a commentary on subjugation. A prominently displayed central woman sits in secrecy beneath her veil. On either side of her are ghostly figures. One is a semi-nude who floats freely in space. The other is a cocoon-like apparition morphing into a kind of chrysalis. Persky portrays this strong statement by limiting her palette to contrasting shades. The third drawing in this unit features one principal figure with three others separated in the foreground. They are all wearing burqas and shrouded in mystery.

The back wall consists of five drawings. They are linked by their use of color and, more important, a shared device that can be seen in each. It is the use of photography that acts as a point of departure for the drawing itself. In her statement accompanying the show, Persky says, "Drawing consists not only of making a mark but also of using the erasers, a tool to obliterate or ‘ghost' an image. The use of photographs integrates what is there as clearly as what is not, the past colliding with the present."

A prime example of the technique is in the piece simply called "Chair." It begins with a small photo of a modest chair enveloped by color. There is an orange stairway and a painted-stone walkway with one solid blue wall and another full-bodied red wall. Persky takes the information and translates it into a colorful dreamscape. The device is consistent throughout this unit. The approach is playful and successful as far as composition, but carries none of the emotional weight of the shrouded women.

The last wall begins with four smaller sketches: "View," "Look Out," "Church" and "Acropolis," all of which reveal Persky's command of drawing. They do not include photographs. They are straight renderings, strong and self-assured. 

The remaining two pieces were created in 1989. One is called "Colored Burqa," featuring a walking woman surrounded by a convergence of solid colors. The other is "Thank You Sally Bishop," which Persky says in her statement is "in honor of my friend and teacher who taught me not to be afraid to ‘make my mark.'" Utilizing the full complement of color, the piece explodes with kinetic energy.

To say that Making My Mark is a long time coming is merely stating the obvious. Another understatement is that Persky is an artist deserving wider recognition. Like her mentor Sally Bishop, she is also a breakaway spirit with talent to match. Hopefully this show is also only a sneak preview of much more to come. o