For immediate release: July 6, 2011
Contact: Christine Serr, 720-404-5074
Abend Gallery Presents
Two Man Show: Dan Beck and Jeff Slemons
Aug 26 - Sep 24, 2011
Opening Reception: Aug 26, 5-9 pm | West Gallery
Denver, CO. Abend Gallery presents Dan Beck and Jeff Slemons in a
two-man exhibition exploring various subjects through impressionism on
the verge of abstraction.
Recent $25,000 Gold Medal winner at the 2011 Oil Painters of America
exhibition Dan Beck continues to push the boundaries of expressionism,
searching for that ‘art-buzz’ found in the solitude that comes from diving
into the sweet spiritual space of creation, lost in the rhythm of the work.
Beck has been, of late, earning much deserved recognition with articles in
numerous magazines, and invitations to prestigious exhibitions such as
Trailside’s miniature show. He has also been a finalist in two Ray Marr
competitions and won the award of excellence at Salon International.
Dan Beck, Winter Walk
“I’m trying to use vocabulary that will express my own thoughts on life,” explained Beck. “I want to
express the idea of spiritualism through the subjects I paint. It’s what I feel about those subjects, what
they mean to me, their beauty, dignity and compassion.”
Jeff Slemons, Bright and Sunny
Complimenting Beck’s ethereal, romantic, and at times
moody style is that of Jeff Slemons, whose vibrantly rich
color palette can reach an electric awareness through his
thick, gutsy impasto layering of paint. What stirs Slemons’
desire to paint certain subjects is the play of light and how it
affects the world around him. Couple that with his natural
artistic curiosity about people, say, sitting at a table staring
out a window, a cup of coffee in hand or mowing a lawn, hat
cocked at an intriguing angle, and that’s all Slemons needs to
dive into a painting.
“It's about trying to convey that initial spark of excitement and feeling on a canvas, with a batch of oil
colors,” said Slemons. “I’m trying to express what I see by manipulating the interplay of colors. I want to
push the connection between them.” As for his love of laying on paint thick, he said, “I have tried to paint
thinner but, inevitably, I start piling on the paint. I have to concede my nature is set; it's more a matter of
learning how to best use it. I wish I could paint effortlessly in a whisper-thin method but it's not gonna
happen.”
For images and more information, please contact Christine Serr: info@abendgallery.com.
###