Exhibition “Observable Traits” Open In McCarthy Gallery until August 28
“Observable Traits,” an exhibit by Jason Clary and Doug Norman, is on display in McCarthy Gallery in Holekamp Hall at Washington and Lee University. It will run until August 28.
The exhibition is free and open to the public.
“Observable Traits,” featuring the works of contemporary realist artists Clary and Norman, is a collection of paintings and drawings that are representational in nature and reflect a clear and unwavering commitment to observation as a formal directive, a method of discovery and a means of communication.
Clary works primarily within the figure/portrait idiom. “I am not interested in generalities, literary narrative, expansive gestures or exaggerated emotions,” said Clary. “I wish the people in my paintings to be self-contained and singular, to exist as they are (or at least as Ii can observe them). I see my progress as being a series of observational dialogues between painter and model; suggestion and substance—one of asking questions and receiving partial answers.”
Norman works with still life, portrait and figure in his paintings and drawings. “The still life paintings are all about something,” said Norman. “The arrangement of the various objects on the table is somewhat like the location of actors on a stage or a still from a movie. Each has its own mark, its place to stand and each has a role to play in the larger presentation.”
Although all of the works of both Clary and Norman are firmly rooted in the idiom of observational representation, the imprint of the individual artist is clearly evident. The works in “Observable Traits” are a clear reflection of the practical approaches of the artists, as well as their complementary but varied translations of the nature of observation.
The McCarthy Gallery hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.
News Contact:
Julie Cline
News Writer
jcline@wlu.edu
540-458-8954
