Embracing The (Untitled) Void In Lester Monzon’s Fail Better

at Edward Cella Gallery, Los Angeles (through October 26)
Reviewed by Eve Wood

I’ve always been partial to exhibitions with oddly self-depreciating titles, and Lester Monzon’s Fail Better is definitely a doozie. A phrase from Samuel Beckett’s novella, Worstward Ho, the original quote reads “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better,” which is not a piece of inspirational writing at all but an absurdist’s response to the absurdity of the living world, i.e. a call to embrace the void. The title also brings to mind the angst and struggle inherent in the artistic process, as any creative person understands — each piece is not necessarily successful, but it is the endless process of transformation, not toward any specific conclusion but more in keeping with the steady work of a brick layer, plodding along year after year, slowly building a comprehensive vision of the world, that continues to inspire. Thus the title, as with the works themselves, reflect the intense and sometimes painful process of creating anything.

The artist Cy Twombly once stated, “I work in an impatient way,” which makes sense when looking at his work, yet he also maintained that all great art is deliberate and well-conceived rather than purely visceral and spontaneous. At first, Monzon’s work might appear haphazard, yet as with Twombly’s luminously enigmatic works, Monzon’s haphazardness is purposeful and exquisitely calibrated. These paintings are as much about…