Saturday, October 10, 2009

New paintings by Daniel Nevins

Number 1, 2009
oil and acrylic on wood
48" x 48"

Number 2, 2009
oil and acrylic on wood
48" x 48"

Step into the downstairs gallery at Blue Spiral 1 this month and experience the unbearable lightness of being via 5 brand new oil paintings by Asheville artist Daniel Nevins. I hesitate to call the paintings abstract -- they feel more like representational work - visual descriptions of a multi-dimensional emotional landscape that vibrates with melancholia, sensuality, celebration, anger, hope, confusion, fear and relief all at once.

People familiar with Nevins' paintings may be surprised by the creative and conceptual shift taken in this new body of work. Noticeably absent are the people, faces, and sentimental gestures of earlier paintings. The new paintings are much bigger and display a subtler palette; the central black forms of each are most intriguing. Layers of painterly washes appear beneath meticulously rendered ribbons and tubes, all suspended weightlessly - a far cry from the artist's earlier tightly composed narrative paintings. Flowers appear venerable, seeming wiser and less eager-to-please than the bountiful and colorful bouquets of Nevins' previous works.

See the evolution of Daniel Nevins' art for yourself:
www.danielnevins.com

3 comments:

Stephanie Biz said...

Good summary of real transformation in Nevins' new pieces at the Blue Spiral1, Ursula. I think/feel that he's discovered and brought to the surface what was always and already underneath his earlier works.
These paintings are of pure potential and endless possibilities. They could lead to images like those he produced earlier. Or who knows what?
What he's doing is bold and very exciting.

Michael DeAntonio said...

Those are beautiful.

Wendy H. Outland said...

I was shocked, but then delighted, when I attended the Blue Spiral 1 opening of Daniel Nevins' show recently. Many of us had been big fans of his earlier work; he had developed such a strong narrative style that we eagerly awaited each new chapter of the story.

However, upon seeing the newest pieces, they held my gaze and delivered just as much content. Different? Yes, and yet related. Daniel appears to have finished the previous series and is now embarking upon a new journey. I, for one, am happy to follow.