Elizabeth Harris Gallery is showing a striking array of new works by Brooklyn painter Carolanna Parlato. “Ms. Parlato’s paintings are instinctive and process-based,” says the gallery. “Although predominantly abstract, they concern themselves with forces of nature. Her actions propel the paint; large gestural sweeps of brushes, sanded and rubbed in passages, and raw color poured onto the surface are all elements of her repertoire.”

Says the artist, “I have chosen to create works that infuse the language of abstraction to an art-making process that is informed by issues of the era in which I live and work. For me, the abstract image is guided by the power of chance, intuition, reason, and the need to express the experiences of life into line, texture, and color. The intersection of nature and artifice in my painting is manifested through the use of glossy primaries, toxic greens, acid yellows and oranges, as well as neutral grays and browns. Material manipulation becomes a visual metaphor for the natural world: oozing paint dispersions interact with playful squiggles and aggressive brushwork, creating a dynamic fusion of lush chromatic effects with sensuous surfaces.”

“Carolanna Parlato: Behind the Sun” runs through October 6 at Elizabeth Harris Gallery, 529 West 20th Street, between 10th and 11th avenues, 212-463-9666, eharrisgallery.com.

Franklin Einspruch is the art critic for The New York Sun. He blogs at Artblog.net.