THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER By Victoria DonohoeThe Arts 1996 INQUIRER ART CRITIC
Widener University.

Glenn D.Harren of Holicong, exhibiting atWidener, offers a physically freshreinterpretation of landscape.These paintings have a peculiarlyinstantaneous reality, demandingattention rather than seducingit.They are far more immediate-seeming than his figure subjects.These landscapes feature a bandof earth, and vast amounts of skyin which the horizon line takes onthe resonance of a single, vibratingcord.The impression of distance ishelped a lot by the way Harrenrenders his rural views strictly interms of fleet draftsmanly linesand overall tones.Thus he tends to createemphatic patterns for their ownsake, relying just a little on tonalgradations.Harren's work is interesting asmuch for what it suggests it mayoffer in the future as for what it'sgiving us now.This is because ofthe way his other large paintingshere-people within their familiarsurroundings(best are his BicycleShop and Nursery School ArtTeacher, New York City)- comeacross as authentic episodes.One hopes Harren will continuetelling these stories of Americanlife in city neighborhoods, as wellas producing verdant landscapesnear his Bucks County home.

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