It's an honor to have my review of Chester's show at the Catherine Clark Gallery published by Alan Bamberger :
http://artbusiness.com/1open/110312.html
Catharine Clark Gallery: A Pilgrim's Progress - Chester Arnold.
Review by Tami Tsark: Chester Arnold's show presents panoramas
of canyons, creeks, and chasms; journeys to countrysides, forests, and
mines; and dialogs with bones, pails and hats. As you enter the gallery,
the paintings strike you as contemporary work created by an "old-world"
painter. The paintings take you to places you feel you might know, but
know you have never been. Look beyond the rich, expertly rendered layers
of paint and you'll find, upon closer examination, familiar but unknown
objects and memorabilia. The tools, the skeletons, and other magical
things that are lodged into the crevices and the nooks and crannies of
the majestic environments, revealing a hidden yet palpable unknown story
(unless you're fortunate enough to hear the stories told by the painter
himself).
The show's opening reception on November 3rd includes an artist's
"walk-through" and gives a lucky audience insight into his work, his
paintings and his teachings-- as a journey-- which he fondly describes
as the "disorganized religion of art." (The show's title comes from--
and references-- the Christian allegory by John Bunyan.) He explains
that the work is idea-driven and reflects his childhood of "Sixty Years
in the Forest." Profoundly in love with painting at an early age, it is
clear that this could not be more true for Arnold now.
This show is one of discovered narrative. At first glance, you
are presented with rich moody environments. Look closer and you'll
uncover and be taken-in by work which is cleverly embedded with humor,
and with deep translucent light. The content is one of rich allegory and
delicate spirit. Chester Arnold describes the work as "a physical
objectification of detail... an inseparable union of interests" which he
coins as a new genre of painting, "Psycho Realism." Every paint stroke
and every object reveals his love, his acute exploration, and his
celebration of these worlds.
If you've not yet seen the show, I encourage you to journey into
these spaces and embark on the passage of time and experience through
which these paintings might lead you.
Art by Chester Arnold at Catharine Clark Gallery. (caption & photo Alan Bamberger)
Chester Arnold degraded environment art. (caption & photo Alan Bamberger)
Art by Chester Arnold at Catharine Clark Gallery. (caption & photo Alan Bamberger)
Chester Arnold discourses on his art (image c/o Tami Tsark).
Environmental art by Chester Arnold at Catharine Clark Gallery. (caption & photo Alan Bamberger)
Human impact art by Chester Arnold. (caption & photo Alan Bamberger)
Art by Chester Arnold at Catharine Clark Gallery. (caption & photo Alan Bamberger)
Chester Arnold art. (caption & photo Alan Bamberger)
Post-Chester-Arnold-art-show redux at Catharine Clark Gallery. (caption & photo Alan Bamberger)
