Charles Newman at F.A.N. Gallery

"I am always conscious of the effect of light on different surfaces and through various filters," Charles Newman declares in his artist's statement. In that regard Newman can be considered an heir to the Impressionists— or, more precisely, to that American variation on Impressionism known as "The Ashcan School."

Newman's fairly extensive exhibit at F.A.N. (39 oils of various sizes) consists of landscapes, cityscapes, interiors, still life and even a pair of figurative studies. Newman's aesthetic seems most successful in the landscapes— there are some beautiful studies of snowfalls— and the urban scenes (several of which are rendered with a gently curved "fisheye" effect).

The piece given pride of place in the show is a cityscape titled West View. It's interesting in that, compared to the other large cityscape in the show— Brewery Town Rooftops— it looks unfinished. The design is quite spare, with everything boiled to the essentials of color and shape.

Even in Brewery Town Rooftops, Newman would never be mistaken as a hyperrealist. None of that photographic exactitude can be found in Newman's work. In place of sharp detail we get gentle atmospheric effects.

West View at first appears to be a work in progress, but I suspect it represents where Newman is going. He appears headed for a greater simplification of the image in hopes of stressing its underlying form. This may or may not be a fruitful move.

On the other hand, West View may be a one-off, an experiment. To paint like Glackens or Sloan is one thing. To paint like Cézanne is quite another.