WITH THEIR TIERS OF HORIZONTAL STRIPES
and extended fields of color, Blum’s
compositions can be seen as
emerging out of the legacies of
Minimalism and Abstract Expressionism.
Indeed, Agnes Martin’s emphasis on
lines and grids and aspects of Richard
Diebenkorn’s later color field paintings
can be observed in Blum’s work.
But the exercise Blum has in mind
extends far beyond a mere reworking
of established styles.
Intrigued by dualities and the phenomena
of coexistence, Blum introduces aspects
of realism into certain sections – typically
the upper register – of his compositions
as a means of creating stylistic opposition.
His use of trompe l’oeil to realistically
render swatches of paper held up by strips
of cellophane tape challenges the distinction
between art and life and sheds light on the
way in which representation is translated
from experience. Like miniature paintings,
these tangible bits of paper mimic the
abstract renderings often found in the
bottom half of the composition. By employing
divergent styles to create a picture within a
picture, the viewer comes away from Blum’s
work with the understanding that oppositions
can exist harmoniously in the same space.