Vikki Cruz, the curator at the Bakersfield Museum of Art, and her assistant Claire Putney share some thoughts on the Fall 2012 exhibitions.
October 19, 2012
October 5, 2012
The Still Life Group Show / Elliott Fouts Gallery
The Elliott Fouts Gallery in Sacramento, California, is hosting an invitational group exhibition featuring eleven artists, including myself.
The show runs from October 6 - November 1, 2012 and features paintings of contemporary still life. I have six paintings in the exhibition.
Click on any image for more information.
The show runs from October 6 - November 1, 2012 and features paintings of contemporary still life. I have six paintings in the exhibition.
Click on any image for more information.
The exhibition is featured in the October 2012 American Art Collector magazine.
September 11, 2012
New Realism / Bakersfield Museum of Art
It is an honor and a privilege to announce my solo exhibition, New Realism, at the Bakersfield Museum of Art, on display from September 13 - November 25, 2012.
The show features fourteen of my book themed paintings, a subject I have worked with for the past several years.
I have slowly refined the way I use books in my paintings. What were once simple props, I started paying closer attention to the actual books. Vintage primary readers are particularly interesting. With overtly optimistic and naive titles, they are a great example of the way our culture idealizes our recent history. Contrasted with early phsycoanalytical books or heavy psychology and ethics texts from the early 20th century and you have an interesting juxtaposition.
At the same time, the simple rectangular shapes, the colors and textures of the spines and pages make for endless possibilities for me as a painter to explore. The organized and tidy stack of vintage and antique books have small details in torn edges, fraying covers, dented spines, discolored pages. A jumbled pile of books, a line of books precariously leaning on one another. All set on softly lit neutral grounds and a clean white shelf.
I like the universality that books as objects present. They are symbolic. They are our combined and collected knowledge printed for posterity, all on decaying paper. We fret over losing the art of reading, the genuine experience and pleasure of a book as we invent and perfect new ways to consume the written word. iPads, Kindles, smartphones — ebooks, they are becoming commonplace and cheaper by the day. I think that as long as someone is writing something worth reading, it doesn't really matter how you take it in.
And as long as second-hand book stores and antique shops have multitudes of books to offer, I doubt I'll ever run out of ideas that I can transform in to paintings.
The show features fourteen of my book themed paintings, a subject I have worked with for the past several years.
I have slowly refined the way I use books in my paintings. What were once simple props, I started paying closer attention to the actual books. Vintage primary readers are particularly interesting. With overtly optimistic and naive titles, they are a great example of the way our culture idealizes our recent history. Contrasted with early phsycoanalytical books or heavy psychology and ethics texts from the early 20th century and you have an interesting juxtaposition.
At the same time, the simple rectangular shapes, the colors and textures of the spines and pages make for endless possibilities for me as a painter to explore. The organized and tidy stack of vintage and antique books have small details in torn edges, fraying covers, dented spines, discolored pages. A jumbled pile of books, a line of books precariously leaning on one another. All set on softly lit neutral grounds and a clean white shelf.
I like the universality that books as objects present. They are symbolic. They are our combined and collected knowledge printed for posterity, all on decaying paper. We fret over losing the art of reading, the genuine experience and pleasure of a book as we invent and perfect new ways to consume the written word. iPads, Kindles, smartphones — ebooks, they are becoming commonplace and cheaper by the day. I think that as long as someone is writing something worth reading, it doesn't really matter how you take it in.
And as long as second-hand book stores and antique shops have multitudes of books to offer, I doubt I'll ever run out of ideas that I can transform in to paintings.
The exhibition features five new paintings (above)
and nine on loan from collectors (below)
(click here for more information on the new paintings)
August 19, 2012
American Arts Quarterly, Summer 2012
I had the opportunity to share my working process, ideas and inspiration with American Arts Quarterly magazine, who reviewed my June 2012 exhibition at the Elliott Fouts Gallery.
I think it is a good review, and provides a clear understanding of my work.
You can read the review here.
August 12, 2012
Still Life: The Painted Image
The Washington County Museum of Fine Art, in conjunction with the George Billis Gallery NY, is exhibiting a group show of contemporary still life paintings from August 2012 through January 2013.
I am honoured to have three paintings included in the exhibition. You can read a feature article about the exhibition here.
I am honoured to have three paintings included in the exhibition. You can read a feature article about the exhibition here.
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The Italian
20" x 32" / Oil/Canvas / 2012
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Remington
20" x 32" / Oil/Canvas / 2012
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5:00, 4:00, 3:00, 2:00, 1:00
18" x 36" / Oil/Canvas / 2012
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An Artist Retreat
I'm a studio painter. I used to do plein air style work, as a student. I tried all sorts of different ways of working, different materials, different mediums. But slowly over time I developed a process and subject that work well for me. One that suits my personality. I think every painter or artist eventually finds a way of working that suits their personality.
So when the time comes to travel, I usually start to get anxious about leaving my work place.
So it took much thought and preparation when my family was presented with the opportunity to live for a month in a country home, far from the city, far from my studio. It's something my wife and children were really looking forward to doing. Spending time with animals and deeply immersed in a quiet sanctuary on our own.
The place we were staying provided a studio space for me, and I'm so grateful they took the time to figure out how to make it work for me. So I was able to pack up my space and work the way I'm used to. With several exhibitions coming up this fall, there was no option to take time off painting. I need to keep going and follow the momentum of my work.
The experience we had over the month of being away is something that will stick with every single one of us for the rest of our lives.
So in the end, we all got something out of our time away. Every day we walked out in to the hills and were mesmerized by our surroundings. We found out about what has been missing from our lives, and now see things we have been taking for granted. And now we will add a little of what's missing, and appreciate the things we have a little more.
So when the time comes to travel, I usually start to get anxious about leaving my work place.
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| A secluded artist retreat. |
The place we were staying provided a studio space for me, and I'm so grateful they took the time to figure out how to make it work for me. So I was able to pack up my space and work the way I'm used to. With several exhibitions coming up this fall, there was no option to take time off painting. I need to keep going and follow the momentum of my work.
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| Every day, the landscape took us by surprise. |
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| My children spending time with animals that were once intimidating. |
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| Time with animals makes you feel more human and more alive. |
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| Without any exaggeration, the most stunning sky you can imagine. |
So in the end, we all got something out of our time away. Every day we walked out in to the hills and were mesmerized by our surroundings. We found out about what has been missing from our lives, and now see things we have been taking for granted. And now we will add a little of what's missing, and appreciate the things we have a little more.
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