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Arts Brief stPlotkin Work Full of LifoNaomi Plotkin has an obvious obsession with life, and her one-woman show at the Atlantic Gallery is a manifestation of this fascination. The bold sweeping lines suggest anonymous women%u2014a bent arm, a twisted waist, an arched head. They are presences more than portraits. What is absent from these figures and the suggestions of surrounding scapes, however, is perhaps more important than what is present. The carefully selected lines and colors are suggestions of the substance%u2014a painter%u2019s version of %u201cwhat is written between the lines.%u201dThough bold and inspired, Plotkin%u2019s use of lines is by no means child-like. The lines are, rather, placed in a specific composition which gives the viewer a feeling of their excitement. And because of a projected feeling of depth, these paintings have the feeling of two-dimensional abstract sculptures, if there could be such a thing. In addition to what are seemingly different planes, Plotkin manages to add more depth through the contortions of the figures%u2014as though canvas is not capable of handling the motion. It is interesting that Plotkin is able to avoid that heavy look which so many artists get used to when they attempt to convey dimension by using texture on the canvas. Instead, this artist works in the other direction and used oil washes and a lot of empty canvas. The resulting effect is a painting of motion.Plotkin had completed the series of paintings before she decided their general theme%u2014that of beaches and bathers. Because they are done largely in flesh and brown tones and in blues the women-shapes%u2019 theme is appropriate.The Atlantic Gallery is also hosting a group show of some 25 pieces plus two sculptures. The show will continue through October 1, and gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday, 2 to 6 p.m. and on weekends from noon till 6 p.m. The Atlantic Gallery is at 81 Atlantic Avenue. %u2014 J.W.Theatre Co. DissolvedThe fledgling, two-year old Brooklyn Academy of Music Theatre Company, under the direction of Frank Dunlop, has been dissolved and will be reformed under the directorship of the Brooklyn Academy of Music itself.The dissolution of the BAM Theatre Company, Inc., recommended by a vote of its Board of Directors last week, grew out of what one BAM staff member called %u201c two different ways of seeing things%u201d between Dunlop and BAM president Harvey Lichtenstein.%u201cBasically, this will mean we%u2019ll have a year of planning,%u201d said Judith Daykin BAM%u2019s general manager. %u201cAs far as theater goes, we don%u2019t know exactly what will happen, although we%u2019re hoping to bring back the Royal Shakespeare Company and we will have the Comedie Francaise.%u201d Daykin said that it may be that BAM %u201cwill have to concentrate on other things this year.%u201dFormed two seasons ago, the BAM Theatre Co. brought star-studded repertory theater to BAM%u2019s stages under the often exacting and controversial direction of Great Britain%u2019s Frank Dunlop. The momentum had been building for what BAM hoped would become a repertory of national and international acclaim and attention.Although BAM officials said that the BAM Theatre Co. would be %u201creformed,%u201d no one is quite sure yet just what form%u2014or direction%u2014the %u201cnew%u201d company will take. %u2014 J.L.Collector Shows QualityIf a description of the collection of art at The Brooklyn Collector Ltd. was limited to one word%u2014that word would have to be %u201cquality.%u201d Several of the works at this %u201coff-off Madison Avenue Gallery%u201d are by such all-time greats as Picasso, while others are relatively unknown talents%u2014yet none seems to outshine the others. Each is a tremendously fine piece within itself.If that one-word description were doubled, the second word should be %u201cvariety.%u201d While galleries frequently seem to limit themselves with a single style, suiting the Gallery Director%u2019s taste, Sam Lacher has selected not only a wide range of mediums, but also just about every imaginable style and technique. The gallery has an excellent cross-section of art as a whole, from abstract to surreal to ultrareal, each is definitive example of the style, yet stunning enough to appeal to one whose tastes are elsewhere.The Brooklyn Collector has just reopened for the 1978-79 season with a selection of work up to its standard quality. The viewer should give special note to works by Richard Clark, a man whose tremendous power and insight are manifested in his work with different mediums. Two large oils, almost monochromatic montages, show an unnervingly dark side of man, while his charcoals, a study in controlled power, are hauntingly gripping.Another fine realist is Michael Frauenglass, whose intense treatment of delicate, simplistic shapes and smooth texture (the skin of the torso, the petals of a flower) are a view of the normal that is so concentrated it becomes fascinating. The Collector also hosts works by Rafael Colon-Morales, a south Bronx artist whose black ana wmte impressionism is imnguingiy symDonc ot many aspects of Latin culture and heritage.The exhibit is well worth seeing, even if it requires a special trip to the Slope Each piece is also reasonably priced. The exhibit will be on view until mid-October when the Collector will offer its annual %u201cDiscoveries from Here and There,%u201d scheduled to open October 15. (%u201cThere%u201d will probably include the Orient, as the Lachers have just completed a trip to Red China. Keep your eyes open forthis one.) The Brooklyn Collector L td.js located on the open through September 24. For more information, call second tioor of tat Seventh Avenue, in Brooklyn. Gaiiery the gaiiery at 624-4255. %u2014 J.W. hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and it%u2019s closed on Wednesdays and Sundays. %u2014J.W.Fall Show ScheduledBosou Lacroix, a painted papier-mache sculptureone of some 160 pieces in the Haitian Art Exhibitat the Brooklyn Museum through November 5.The sculpture sports a predominantly red andblack color scheme, symbolic of the Petro side ofthe voodoo pantheon. The snake and lizards aremessengers of the god. The demonic-lookingsorcerer worshiping Bosou Lacroix holds amachete and a bottle filled with the god%u2019s favoritedrink.%u201c91%u201d Up to StandardsMembers of Gallery 91 have put together a show that makes this co-op gallery%u2019s opening a show that is up to the standards that local residents have come to expect from this quality gallery.The pieces are intriguing and many; in fact quite a few had to be hung on a set of sliding doors. It seems almost a shame that this was done, as so many of the works seem too high caliber to be seemingly %u201cpushed%u201d in the back, but when it comes to presentation, the gallery members seem to have chosen quantity over quality.This, however, applies in no way to the type of work that is exhibited. Each piece is very stylized and deserving of special attention. A few pieces exhibited at one time would make a stunning presentation, yet as a group they somehow cancel each other out. It is not that which is in these pictures that causes overall mundaneness of the show, rather it is that which the pictures lack that takes away from them. While the works are all stunningly innovative in themselves, as a whole the artists%u2019 techniques overcome any solid subject matter, leaving the viewer in a state between bored and grasping.Some very nice work is exhibited by Neils Michaelson, whose heavy brush technique combined with well chosen color schemes produces beautiful scapes, such as %u201cBuff.%u201d In somewhat the same line are works by Alber Henrique, wno puts Deautifutiy mastertui watercmor in a way that makes it delicate and beautiful. Rex Clawson, who is new with the gallery, has some stunning Aztec-style paintings which are as boldly fascinating as any work from that race.All-in-all, it is a good show, but if you see it, don%u2019t miss the hangings or slides in the back. Gallery 91, at 91 Atlantic Avenue, is open Thursday and Friday, 2 to 5 p.m. and on weekends from noon to 6 p.m. The exhibit will be%u2018Goodby%u2019 and %u2018Hello%u2019In content, the exhibit at The Work of Art Gallery greets the fall and the 78-79 season with a variety of work typical of each of the group%u2019s members, but in feeling it seems to bid farewell to an inspiring summer.From most of the Gallery%u2019s members, we see the subject and mediums which we expect from this Atlantic Avenue gallery, a welcome to first-time gallery visitors and a refresher to those of us who are familiar with the artists and their work. Rickie Schwartz and Fred Lewis are represented with their bright, bold abstracts and Scott Oskoo is back with his untitled metal sculptures.With the obvious exception of Dom Kimes%u2019 winter landscape of the Catskills, many of the works reflect the warmth and excitement of summer. Two impressionist oils, %u201cDoor After Storm%u201d and %u201cThe Final Closing%u201d seem to make the statement of summer and fall, or more importantly, of time itself, and of much more. Other interesting works are two intense and delicate waterc.olors by Susan Webster. Her mastery of this media is well rewarded by perfectly fragile pieces that are combined with a deep sensitivity, resulting in beautiful pieces.Both Linda Smith and Larry Sutton prove to be notable sculptors in this exhibit; Smith does a very nice bust, %u201cPortrait of a Dancer%u201d which manages to capture both rough strength and sensitive realism and Sutton%u2019s %u201cLovers%u201d shows a beautiful feel for shapes and composition. The portraits vary from JLJ Johnson%u2019s abstract %u201cConversation,%u201d an acrylic which is more aware of presences than reality, to samples of commissioned pencil portraits by Alice Vleck.Because this show has such representative pieces from each of the 17 gallery members, the exhibit best serves as an introduction to the artists and their works. Here one can get a %u201csneak preview%u201d of work by JLJ Johnson, who will open a show on October 3 and get a peek at Linda Fishgold's fine portraits, which will have their own show October 24 through November 12. The current show will be at the Work of Art Gallery, 87 Atlantic Avenue, through October 1. The Gallery hours are 2-6 p.m., Tuesday through Friday and noon till 6 p.m. during weekends. J.W.Henry Hicks%u2019 First ShowAs is customary with the Atlantic Avenue Galleries, the Henry Hicks Gallery has opened for the 78-79 season with a group show. The seventeen members of the gallery have some 30 pieces collectively, and make the show an important stop for frequenters of Henry Hicks. Outstanding are the color photographs and oil scapes by Allen Halpern. The visitor can also get a look at a piece by Janet L. Bohman, whose one-woman show will be the next attraction. The group show will continue through October 8. Bohman%u2019s exhibit will run October 14-November 1. The gallery hours are 4-7 p.m., Tuesday through Friday and noon till 6 p.m. on weekends. For further information about the gallery, call 522-3692.Group Show OpensThe Valsamis Gallery, located at 33 Lafayette Avenue, win open tne season September i<\\ with a group snow ot four local artists. The show will consist of works by: Marilyn Marks, a sports painter; Louis Saez, a Spanish painter; Robert Weiss, a watercolorist who specializes in Brooklyn scenes; and Eva McLowry, who does woodcuts. The season%u2019s first exhibit will be followed by another group show, opening October 8. The Valsamis Gaiiery, located across from the Brooklyn Academy of Music, is open noon till 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.Celebrating New York%u2019s Fall season, the 22nd SemiAnnual Brooklyn Heights Promenade Art Show will run along the Brooklyn Heights Esplanade, from Remsen to Oragne Streets, on Saturdays and Sundays, September 23, 24, 30, October 1, 7, and 8. The show, which has become a major art tradition in the city, will showcase the work of tri-state artists as well as contributors from other areas of the United States from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. all three weekends.Sponsored by the Brooklyn Arts and Culture Association, Inc. (BACA), and directed by creator Ruth Keating, the outdoor exhibition has become a twice-yearly %u201cstomping ground%u201d for thousands of artists and art appreciators. Awards will be selected in all categories of art September 30 and presented October 1. For more information about the showr call 783-4469.Estate Opens SeasonThe Sixth Estate art gallery, located at 85 Atlantic Avenue, has just reopened its doors for the new season. Showing now is a series of relief prints, a process in which paper is raised to create letters or designs, by Linda Graves. October 3 will open a new show by Rachel Jordan. She will exhibit paintings through October 22. The Sixth Estate is open 2-6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and noon till 6 p.m. on weekends. For more information about the gallery, call 624-8900. _ j yv.page 43, i H t priG tniiX , September 21, 19^6