Dark Metropolis: Irving Norman's Social Surrealism -At Crocker Art Museum December 19, 2006

Norman's canvases are monumental in scale and teem with swarming figures, clone-like in their repetition, yet retaining elements of individuality. These figures are constricted by small urban spaces, caught in the crunch of bodies that fill city streets and subways, and decimated by the pain of poverty and the horror of war. The darkness of his visions is relieved by his jewel-like color harmonies and sharp wit. Once the spectator is engaged, Norman's unsettling visions cannot be ignored -- or forgotten.