Symmetry and Biomorphic Forms Characterize Roberta Gentry’s Sensual Paintings

Los Angeles artist Roberta Gentry's sensual paintings showcase a captivating fusion of symmetry, biomorphic shapes, and bold colors. Her Los Angeles-based work leans heavily into the interplay between the constructed and the natural world, producing abstract and organic form compositions anchored by towering columns. Gentry's paintings adhere to a strict, limited color palette, and each piece is built through cumulative layers of thinned acrylic paint.

The end result is a series of highly detailed and visually striking canvases that resonate with a rhythmic quality.

One upcoming solo exhibition, "Blood Orange," will feature a selection of Gentry's latest works. The exhibition will run from October 24 at Track 16's East Hollywood location. In "Blood Orange," Gentry references the 16th-century La Dame à la licorne tapestries, which feature a blond, lavishly dressed noblewoman flanked by a unicorn on one side and a lion on the other. Each painting in "Blood Orange" corresponds to one of the five senses, with a sixth piece titled "À Mon Seul Désir," or "to my only desire."

Gentry's paintings often reference elements found in the tapestries, such as the velvet gown worn by the noblewoman, a towering pipe organ, and orange trees that frame the background. These elements are depicted as central forms within the paintings. Scholars have interpreted the tapestries as directly referencing the senses, but others argue that the works symbolize the ways in which we gather knowledge and information about the world, particularly through the mysterious sixth piece related to emotion.

Gentry's own perspective aligns with this latter interpretation, as she often ponders how we construct mythologies to interpret and explain our lived experiences. Her paintings showcase a delicate balance between the order of the grid and the unpredictable nature of organic growth.