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Do you get his drift(wood)?
Jon Manteau at L.G. Tripp Gallery
Jon Manteau's exhibition of recent work is a lively, energetic exercise in painting that cannot be ignored or quietly relegated to an unobtrusive spot on the wall. In this case, Manteau even creates a wall. You must tread carefully here, because the art will come out to meet you in the form of painted driftwood.
Gumtrees and Ghosts is a huge gestural expression of the universe. Look carefully at the multi-layered painted panels and you'll see deep space between swirling masses. Then all this activity is brought right out into your space with painted driftwood continuing the environment over, under and between you and the painting. Walk under the driftwood, between the branches and become part of this galaxy. It's an eye-opener.
He Must Be Gay, on the opposite wall, is a less exuberant gestural painting with a quieter palette and driftwood pieces that, unfortunately, veer toward desiccated, figurative sculpture. Another gallery wall is filled with painted driftwood pieces as sculpture.
You can also see some of the detritus from an artist's studio: paint-saturated brushes (you may take one for your own collection), empty vessels, pots, boots, pans. It's all on display between the front and rear galleries, splotches of color covering everything and creating a sense of personal communication. You are there. And you'll begin to understand why Manteau uses more affordable house paints, instead of the oils, acrylics and watercolors designated for artists. The driftwood might be found on the banks of our rivers, but those layers of paint add up to hundreds of gallons.
The inner gallery feels serene and meditative. My favorite painting, Nobel Inventor of Dynamite, is 8 feet-by-8 on cabinet-grade plywood. The abstract brush strokes exude a life-enhancing musicality that invites a more leisurely attention span. This type of sensitivity is also reflected in the nine works on paper on the opposite wall. Each one seems to be a complete artistic statement.
Manteau, an artist from Philadelphia who also studied and exhibited in New York, wants to cover the world with paint that proclaims a joy in existence. Be careful; it's contagious.
Gumtrees and Ghosts is a huge gestural expression of the universe. Look carefully at the multi-layered painted panels and you'll see deep space between swirling masses. Then all this activity is brought right out into your space with painted driftwood continuing the environment over, under and between you and the painting. Walk under the driftwood, between the branches and become part of this galaxy. It's an eye-opener.
He Must Be Gay, on the opposite wall, is a less exuberant gestural painting with a quieter palette and driftwood pieces that, unfortunately, veer toward desiccated, figurative sculpture. Another gallery wall is filled with painted driftwood pieces as sculpture.
You can also see some of the detritus from an artist's studio: paint-saturated brushes (you may take one for your own collection), empty vessels, pots, boots, pans. It's all on display between the front and rear galleries, splotches of color covering everything and creating a sense of personal communication. You are there. And you'll begin to understand why Manteau uses more affordable house paints, instead of the oils, acrylics and watercolors designated for artists. The driftwood might be found on the banks of our rivers, but those layers of paint add up to hundreds of gallons.
The inner gallery feels serene and meditative. My favorite painting, Nobel Inventor of Dynamite, is 8 feet-by-8 on cabinet-grade plywood. The abstract brush strokes exude a life-enhancing musicality that invites a more leisurely attention span. This type of sensitivity is also reflected in the nine works on paper on the opposite wall. Each one seems to be a complete artistic statement.
Manteau, an artist from Philadelphia who also studied and exhibited in New York, wants to cover the world with paint that proclaims a joy in existence. Be careful; it's contagious.
What, When, Where
“To a Hammer, Everything Looks Like a Nailâ€: Works by Jon Manteau. Through May 14, 2011 at L.G. Tripp Gallery, 47 N. Second St. (215) 923-3110 or www.lgtrippgallery.com.
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