|
Newsletters>
Pictograph Newsletter for Jan. 11, 2010
January 9, 2010
Pictograph Gallery Column for January 11, 2010
Andrea Allison
Jonathan Lewis's exhibition "Elemental Worlds" opened on Saturday Jan. 9. It will run to Saturday Jan. 30. The Gallery is open Tuesday - Saturday, noon - 3:00 pm., downstairs in the Voyageur Mall. We invite everyone to see the work of this talented local artist. At the time of writing this column I haven't seen the show yet so I will let Jonathan Lewis explain it in his own words. Here is his Artist's Statement:
For me, visual art expresses important truths about our experience. Painting is able to show what words cannot. Human experiences with nature are a vital part of selves. This is because the natural environment displays the major symbols of the stages of life: birth, death, growth, development, nourishment, and change. While not everyone enjoys having experiences with nature, a great many people find such experiences very important. This is especially true in Northern Ontario.
In painting landscapes, I want to convey the physical reality of the natural world, while still showing the kinds of emotional states that nature produces. The intent is to maximize the physical and the psychological at the same time. These paintings aren't intended to be a literal imitation of particular places. They are instead an evocation of the general feelings and forms that certain landscapes have. The physical aspect of the wilderness is conveyed through texture, the psychological is conveyed through colour.
Most of these landscapes are made of many small particles of paint. This technique is intended to show the effects of light in an impressionistic sense, but also to describe the granular physical structure of natural landscapes. The many small marks against their background create a strong texture of high contrasts that is intended to express the tactile and solid qualities of natural environments. The thick application of paint is meant to appeal to the sense of touch.
Thank you for stopping in to see our Gallery and Gift Shop.
We hope you enjoyed your visit and will return.
The Pictograph Gallery - Atikokan Ontario - 1-807-597-4344
|
