"Where In This Land of Lively Beasts Scatters the Darkness Thin"
2009
Acrylic and spray enamel on paper
42 1/4 x 72 inches
Jon Rappleye's work springs from a teeming imagination and, because he also shares my interest in the messy overlap of natural history and fantastical narrative, it comes as no surprise that I so respond to his mixed media paintings.
Reviewing "Awakened In The Peaceable Kingdom," his 2007 solo exhibition at Jeff Bailey Gallery, I noted that "the relationships between Rappleye's animal subjects have grown more complex and the ambivalent cycle of life and death is more readily observable" than in his earlier mixed media works.
"Forgotten Planet," Rappleye's current show, evidences still more growth. The best of the new paintings are the most nuanced, compelling compositions Rappleye has so far produced. Of course, it doesn't hurt that he includes plenty of snakes and owls, two of my favorite animal icons.
"Awakened From Winter's Tranquil Slumber"
2009
Acrylic and spray enamel on paper
51 x 51 inches
Photo credits: Jon Rappleye images courtesy of Jeff Bailey Gallery
5 comments:
Interesting, but try this guy. Every blue moon or so I get a good lead on a real artist on ArtScene or ArtSlant, he is one.
http://nugentandcompany.com/web/
Donald:
Huh...I quite like some of what I just saw. I'll spend more time on his site tomorrow. Thanks for the tip.
Did you like it? I do very much. Wrote him telling him so, but he was on his way to brazil for ten weeks. Love his color, and always have loved watercolor and especially hand made papers. If used well. Tamayo did quite often and with rich Latin American colors, its perfect.
Donald:
It really depends on the individual piece. I generally like his works on antique prints and book pages, but generally don't respond to his paintings on canvas or linen. It's the watercolor, gouache and paper works that, well, work!
I agree. But its nice to find any work that really has purpose, and fulfills it in an organic way, naturally. I dont like anyones work 100% of the time, mine either in hindsight. Though sometimes changes with mood, but the strongest works always stand out, no matter what. And get better with time.
Accidents happen too. I am just coming out of a 15 year recess in art making, raised my kids, after the divorce they took all my time and energy, now its back to what i love to do, besides my wife. At the time I quit the Neo Ex were still big. And while most Americans bored me, especially Fischl and Schnabel, Donald Sultan's work from about 1985-1990 is excellent. His tar based works have great structure and depth. But other than that, he is a pompous ass. And his work after that all wimpy decoration. Happened alot at the turn of the last century, artists blazing, then burning out like Delaunay, Malevich, and Boccioni.
Anselm Kiefre the only one I truly loved his work. Saw a retrospective before my temporary retirement, and it was incredible. Fulfilled my three requirements, defined mankind, through teutonic guilt and mysticism, nature, in material and broad landscapes, and god, who is everywhere. Germans not good with color, which is great here, becaue he doesnt use any. All earthtones and actual earth, straw metals, flesh of the land. Usually a gimmic, but works incredibly well in his work. Why? Purpose. Thats all that matters, then fulfilling it.
So I am overjoyed when I find anything that does this. It is so rare now. imagine me coming back to YBAs! Have you seen that incrdible load of &*^(! I Blog at the guardian in London, and amazing how bad their crap is, our stuff just bland and boring, theirs all literary and stupid, but at least gets noticed. Koons and buddies just toys now. But will admit they looked great at Versaille,s that temple to glorius individual excess, fit perfectly.
Anyway, things are changing. The Age of Excess is over. Meism dead. What ocmes next? In this i am hopeful, I think Humanity needs art again, it has purpose, a role in mans development. People tired of mindless entertainments alone, everything has it time and place. And art based on nature, god and rediscovering who WE are instead of Me, is now called out for. Will we do it? Thats the question, and what will it be like ? That comes in time, silly to forecast, jsut do.
gotta run, keep on searching, we need to get this going, and time is short.
art collegia delenda est
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