by Anika D.
This summer looks like one of the greatest seasons for contemporary abstract painters. Many exhibitions set for July and August seem to focus on abstract painting practices and we had the opportunity to follow the revival of this movement at its finest in the Shapeshifters and Sharpshooters exhibition and also Summer Mixer at Joshua Liner Gallery. But our quest is not over as the series of amazing abstract art is moving to Dolby Chadwick Gallery in San Francisco, the proud host of James Kennedy’s exhibition titled C O N T I N U U M.
Enter the C O N T I N U U M
The C O N T I N U U M exhibition at Dolby Chadwick Gallery will present recent artworks created in James Kennedy’s highly recognizable painting style. All the works on display are made in the same technique of acrylic polymer on incised eucalyptus masonite. A truly fascinating fact about James Kennedy’s creative process is that he doesn’t use any preliminary drawings or referential material. His artistic automatism is an interesting thing to have in mind when you stand before his paintings and look at some astonishing, mathematically precise compositions with perfectly layered shapes and objects that create dynamic textures. Alterations between foundation and detailed shapes on the foreground of the painting create a space of spirited and balanced structures which in a highly suggestive manner places the observer in the mood of anticipation for familial objects or landscapes to rise from these paintings.
James Kennedy | Left: STRUCTUR; Right: INDUSTRIA, both 2015 | Both acrylic polymer on incised eucalyptus masonite | Left: 64 x 64 inches; Right: 63 x 51 inches
James Kennedy and the Equations of Painting
James Kennedy is Irish-born artist currently living and working in New York, whose works have been exhibited and collected worldwide. For this artist, creating a painting is like “solving an equation” and finding a perfect space in the composition where he allows the “momentum of the painting to fall through”. His visual language is widely associated with abstract expressionism although a resemblance can be found to some other movements like late impressionism, futurism and cubism in particular. These admirable compositions are made in several layers of dilution in different shades of gray that are brought to life and made into dynamic textures by precise incisions. While cold and crystalline hues seem to dominate the painting, small traces of the original material in different colors can be seen peeking underneath these different layers of dilution. The perfect arrangement of lines, forms and colors is what makes these paintings the true masterpieces of contemporary abstract painting practices.
James Kennedy | ATLAAS, 2015 | Acrylic polymer on Incised Eucalyptus Masonite | 64.5 x 76.5 inches
C O N T I N U U M at Dolby Chadwick Gallery
Newest display of James Kennedy’s abstract paintings is about to begin at Dolby Chadwick Gallery in San Francisco. As we said, the abstract art is back big time, and you better not miss the opportunity to check out James Kennedy’s perspective on this subject. The C O N T I N U U M exhibition will be on view from July 9th until August 29th, 2015, with the opening reception set for July 9th from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.