Exuberance of life: Unique blend of vibrant colors, post-modernist techniques symbolize inner change

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The walls in this intimate gallery space light up with a story of joy. Lisa Danice Saenz’ new exhibit at Sidecar bursts with the positive enthusiasm of a life directed toward personal evolution.

“I do want people to feel joy when they see my artwork,” she said. “I want them to be happy, but it goes so much deeper than that; people who stop and look at my artwork and really analyze it, they’ll see that it’s also a part of me.”

They will also discover a fresh experience with her colors by wearing the ChromaDepth 3-D lenses placed near the paintings.

Although Saenz continues her vivid color and complex patterning usually contained within symbolic shapes, these works show a more sophisticated shift reflecting changes in her life. Referencing her divorce, weight loss, and other positive experiences, she brings a more clearly biographical imagery into play.

Shapes constructed of elegantly curving lines are developed into a powerfully rhythmic and whiplike force, with the balance between decorative effects and deeper meanings creating a tension that draws us into the pictures. This duality reflects an interesting conflict upon the surface itself and demonstrates its power in “Conflicted Conscience” that speaks directly of the past and future artist showing a refiguration of a face suggesting two faces. “It’s emotion that comes from within,” confessed Saenz, an intuitive artist, “I see it like it just comes to me.”

All the paintings are representational — some human while others are floral or avian subjects. No matter the reference, the paintings all represent aspects of the artist, sometimes symbolically rendered, sometimes metaphorically — evolving from personal life events and becoming stronger as they become more focused.

Her large painting, “Metamorphic Whisper” is a self-portrait after her divorce and informed by a sense of freedom. It includes her visual vocabulary of patterns within symbolic shapes, undulating linear shapes that are elegant and graceful, details declaring a love affair with embellishment, and above all, a brilliant use of color relationships. Her rapport to the natural world is exemplified by the tendril shaped arms.

“Midnight Dreamer,” in the symbolic shape of a pelican, also characterizes her metamorphic connection with nature; looking at this complex pelican, we can see the artist.

Each work contains a myriad of abstract and often highly detailed areas consisting of vivid warm-cool color contrasts and extreme tonal contrasts that combine to give an exhilarating dynamic to the picture plane. Parades of meticulously painted tiny dots travel along the edges of linear shapes to form additional contrasts between foreground and background spaces.

In “Catharsis,” multi-hued, dot-lined, linear configurations of breath become more important than their source due to tonal contrast and composition.

But there’s more! A special treat awaits viewers — the ChromaDepth lenses offer an enhanced visual experience. The lenses supercharge the surface contrasts and suggest an additional dimension.

Not all the paintings offer illusional changes with the lenses, but “Luminous Energy” responded exceptionally well to this viewing technique, offering close to a 3-D effect simply through the painting’s color and tonal relationships. In relation to the Virginal subject, the phenomenon is almost magical, leaving the viewer with a truly uplifted feeling.

Unfortunately, viewing is limited to evening hours, with the possibility of daytime visits via a phone call.

Lisa Danise Saenz exhibition

Where: Sidebar, 215 East University Drive, Edinburg

When: Through December 2024

Hours: Dining room is open 5 to 11 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday