Blog Standard - Reynolds Gallery

Apr 01

Joseph Scheer

By margaret Additional Works

Scheer catalogs the wonder of nature through scan print media, video, and web based projects. His work plays off the intrinsic human need to explore and discover the natural world; biophilia, or the innate attachment human beings have to other living things, Scheer says, this is a theme central to his art. However Scheer’s work is not only representational, it is also scientific, as he explains his artwork as a dialog with the natural sciences. Scheer specifically chooses subjects, such as moths, that are interesting, diverse, and often little known. He uses digital scanning technology to create high resolution images that reveal exquisite details indiscernible to the naked eye. Scheer expresses the intent behind his hyper-real focus in a recent statement: “There is an incredible reality that we are now able to see that reveals the beauty along with the monstrosity of moths with all their preposterous hair and scales. Their beauty becomes a totally different kind – a sort of repulsive, disquieting beauty. These images may be of insects half a centimeter long that become 3′ by 4′ when enlarged and printed.” In addition to digital scanning, Scheer is skilled in other printmaking techniques such as woodcut. His cactus woodcuts series utilizes light and shadow, making the plants appear almost three dimensional as they emerge from desert landscapes.

Gandaritis fixseni, 2017, Archival print on watercolor paper, 32 x 44 inches

Haritalodes basipuntalis, 2019, Archival print on watercolor paper, 32 x 44 inches

Apr 01

Barry Purcell

By margaret Additional Works

Barry Purcell is a fourth-generation painter and photographer born in Virginia Beach, VA in 1973. He received his Bachelor of Science from James Madison University in 1996, Juris Doctorate and Master of Business from the University of Richmond in 2000. He currently resides in Richmond, VA and Virginia Beach.

Doonbeg Greys, Latitude 52.75 Longitude 9.49, June 28, 2019 1:01pm, 2019, archival print, 36.75 x 36.75 inches

Big Sky in May Latitude 36.88 Longitude 75.98 May 24, 2019 6:58pm, 2019, Archival print, 36.75 x 36.75 inches

Apr 01

Deshun Peoples

By margaret Additional Works

Deshun Peoples’ work explores the interaction between form and minimal surfaces in order to interrogate personal and societal standards of beauty and value as they relate to notions of equity, representation, and lasting impacts on mental health. He is drawn to the order and logic of specific geometry because it inspires a feeling of security, and he uses various colors in his work to ponder the psychological effect that color has on us: either bright colors that elicit a feeling of joy and wonder, or pale/muted colors that elicit a feeling of calm, melancholy, or introspection.

In his most recent work, Peoples reflects on his experiences as a Black, Queer man from an impoverished, urban background, speculating on the socio-political dimensions to his recent work’s mission to ‘take up space’ as an act of resistance, abruption, and reclamation. Using sculptural ceramic table settings, Peoples endeavors to catalyze a conversation about the role of new ideas and representation in traditional rigid systems, as well as branch into different modes of making. These include various industrial ceramic production techniques, and digital fabrication methods to conceive of new ways to expand the breadth of his ceramic practice.

Peoples received his dual Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art and Rhetorical Theory and Criticism from Bates College and will receive his Master of Fine Arts in Ceramics from RISD in spring 2021. His honors include a Phillips Fellowship for International Research from Bates College, Apprenticeship with artist Theaster Gates, and a Fulbright Student Research Grant to study Chinese porcelain production and traditional design techniques in Jingdezhen, China. He has shown his work in solo and group exhibitions at venues including Bates College Olin Arts Center, Rhode Island School of Design’s Woods-Gerry and Gelman galleries, Worcester Center for Craft, and Saratoga Clay Arts Center.

Calm (Cup), Wheel-thrown porcelain ceramic with carving, 3.75 x 3.5 inches

Apr 01

Philip Geiger

By margaret Additional Works

Philip Geiger works within the tradition of American Romantic realism, which can be traced to realism, but has deeper roots in abstract, tonal compositions. Geiger’s domestic scenes—snapshots of his friends and family in their Charlottesville homes—communicate an authentic intimacy. He doesn’t overly sentimentalize; he paints women standing with arms crossed and backs turned, seemingly oblivious to their observer. His paintings exude a tension as serene environments commingle with embedded, arrested emotions. Geiger’s unique portrayal of light lends to each work’s palpable energy, which emanates from a light bulb’s burning glow, or a window’s imposing glare. Geiger earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Washington University and Master of Fine Arts at Yale University (1978, 1980). He currently lives in Charlottesville, VA where he has been a University of Virginia art professor for over 30 years.