James Keul
Elemental Realms
February 2 - February 23, 2010
Reception:
Thursday February 4, 2010 6-8 PM
Press Release
Talented printmaker and painter James Keul seeks to capture the soul of the natural world through his handsome, meditative landscapes. Working with oil paint on canvas or with ink monotypes, his images of crystalline streams, stands of deep forest, and rugged mountain ranges are timeless and inspiring. "I seek to extrapolate from nature the essence of a scene, while accentuating the rhythms and motion." His characteristic style is a gestural abstraction created by graceful, painterly brushstrokes imbuing each work with an essential energy. This approach lends an air of spontaneity to each piece, sweeping like breezes across the picture. Keul has a naturalist’s appreciation for the land but may also include depictions of historical architecture within his work. These rigid, manmade forms are conspicuous against the organic appearance of the clouds, foliage, and land. His creative life has been complemented by studies in the wide-ranging locations of Vermont, Georgia, New York, and Aix-en-Provence.
A full-time artist for the last eleven years, Keul currently lives and works in New York City.
Artist Statement
In my work, I seek to show a harmony between nature and humanity by painting landscapes and cityscapes, bathed in atmosphere, that are contemplations on our cities and parks. There is a human element in nearly all of my paintings, even though they are generally more focused on nature. This is all the easier to discover because the natural elements in my paintings are treated no differently from the human elements, reinforcing the sense of harmony that I attempt to convey. I primarily work directly from life and try to capture the action of a place, whether it is calm or stormy, rainy or clear. Most paintings that I do I later turn into monotypes where I further accentuate the action and add greater abstraction to the image.
Invitation to the exhibition
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