FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 4, 2005
NEIL ANDERSON – “The Elements” - NEW PAINTINGS
Philadelphia, PA - In his second solo show at the Bridgette Mayer Gallery, Neil Anderson will feature a new series of abstract paintings which he calls, The Elements. The exhibition will run from October 5 – October 29, 2005 with an opening reception First Friday, October 7th from 6-8:30 p.m.
Along with other paintings he will show a series of four larger works that reference each element: earth, air, fire and water. Each painting in the series establishes an appropriate formal structure that will particularize the abstract idea of each element. For instance the painting, Fire, shows a pale white structure that looms over a blackened field. Such a form is clearly not predetermined but emerges gradually through the working process. The final configuration and the meaning of the work is only apparent after the work is complete.
As in his earlier work, Anderson continues to develop his own vocabulary of abstraction with carefully adjusted color and refined linear structures. The new work indicates a marked shift from the earlier more organic forms of the Temple series toward more architectonic linear structures. The work originates from numerous photographic sources — random slides collected from natural terrain, fashion advertising and photojournalism in general. These sources initiate the process but they are no longer recognizable in the finished work. Instead, what emerges is a unique configuration that is born in the process. A careful examination of the painted surface reveals form emerging through multiple layers of improvised changes.
In a recent interview with writer Roger Rothman, Anderson discusses how nature has been an important influence in his work, not only in this series of paintings, but in others-as well as where it fits into our contemporary technophilia: “Nature is a fact in my life, it surrounds my studio, it’s what I see out the window, so it’s not surprising that it would appear as a source in my work. However, I would say, the history of painting would be the important influence and “nature” is simply the occasion. The emphasis on craftsmanship in painting would appear to be a reaction to technology. The handmade quality of painting would appear anachronistic in our culture, however I remain convinced that the phenomenological experience it fosters is for me compelling. Whatever painting has to say will finally be indistinguishable from the practice of that craft. The simple, unmediated quality of painting can be seen as an antidote to the electronic world of technology. The stillness of painting seems out of touch with current culture yet its direct appeal to the senses, its phenomenological qualities, make it for me continually compelling.”
Anderson’s paintings have been exhibited nationally and collected widely. His work appears in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Western Michigan University, the Jans Collection and the Xerox Corporation. He has exhibited at the Whitney Museum, NY, the Museum of Modern Art, NY, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, NY. Anderson has been featured in solo and group exhibitions at the Fischbach Gallery, NY, Greenberg Wilson Gallery, NY and the Samek Gallery, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA. Anderson was born in Chicago, IL. He taught at Bucknell University from 1958-1999. The artist currently resides in Lewsiburg, PA.
“The Elements” will run through October 29, 2005. The artist will be present at the opening reception Friday, October 7th from 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. Gallery hours are Tuesday – Saturday 11–5:30, other days by appointment. For additional information please contact Bridgette Mayer, 215.413.8893 Fax 215.413.2283
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