Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue


No, I’m not getting married. I’m getting ready for my fourth solo show at Gallery I D. Luckily this does not have anything to do with marriage, because as a parallel this would be my fourth marriage and they do not usually work out. I am hoping this show is a success. The three previous shows have been received with much success and I would like to carry on with that tradition and the best way to describe the show is through a familiar tradition.

Something old: In the original context, this symbolizes continuity with the past. Keeping with tradition, I have filled the show with images of beautiful women. Considering it was the gallery owner that coached me into a subject I only dabbled in, through many conversations and a lot of resistance on my part, I found joy in painting skin tones and putting souls into eyes.

Something New: On this happy little artistic journey you can’t help but become excited about new ideas. The constant desire to make better art and explore the possibilities of composition, light… all that great stuff. My “something new” is a little bit of reflected color produced by reflected light. Be it from the side of the painting that is now painted and reflects onto the wall, or the color, painted on the back of the drawing that illuminates from behind an oil-stick drawing, it’s all new to me.

Something Borrowed: “Borrowed” assumes that you are giving it back and do not have the intention of keeping it, which would be considered stealing. For the show I borrowed images of photographs that contain harsh light, dramatic shadows, and sultry gazes. The glamour shots of the 1920‘s and 1930’s, with their film noir lighting, allowed me to explore the darks and lights while drawing with oil-sticks. My hope was to ignite a bit of resurgence in the genre that I borrowed from.

Something Blue: In the original context, blue symbolizes love and modesty. Here however, blue refers to how I blew my budget on these awesome white frames to frame my new, old, borrowed artwork.

3 comments:

  1. I'm going to start painting luscious women! It just might lead to something. Since I'm no longer married I don't have any explaining to do like you might. Thanks for the great idea Jeff. : )

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  2. It all sounds great, Jeff, and you have put together an amusing post. Congratulations and best wishes on the fourth time around!

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  3. @ Michael - you can't because i did, and if you did that would be copying.
    @ Nancy - thanks! i'm hoping the fourth time is a charm.

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