Pamela Jorden (b. 1969) is an emerging abstract painter whose work looks distinctly different from the “provisional painting” so visible in the past decade. Raphael Rubinstein coined this term in his widely discussed article of the same name, published in these pages in May 2009. Where provisional painting can be characterized by a rather theatrical lack of finish, Jorden’s work—although it likewise can have a casual quality—appears decidedly untheatrical. Hers moves toward a somber introspection that recalls Symbolist ideals, while also embracing a forward-looking vocabulary of very unconventional shape/pattern relationships. Read More