NEW MASTERS, Subliminal Projects- May 7, 2011
NEW MASTERS
Opening Reception: SATURDAY, MAY 7TH, 8-11PM (Valet Parking Provided)
Subliminal Projects, Los Angeles
May 7 - June 4, 2011
Subliminal Projects Gallery is pleased to present New Masters, a group exhibition of works on the classical figure by contemporary artists Mary Jane Ansell, Sean Cheetham, Ron English, Benjamin Bryce Kelley, Miles 'Mac' MacGregor, Ann Marshall, Stephen Wright, and Jonathan Yeo, on view May 7, through June 4, 2011. A reception for the artists will be held Saturday, May 7th, from 8-11p.m.
The New Masters exhibition focuses on today's leading contemporary artists and their approach to the classical figure. These exceptional artists are considered the "New Masters" of today's figure painters, printers and sculptors, invoking the feeling of the Old Master's technical virtuosity with a contemporary approach.
The classical figure has been admired throughout history and mastering the depiction of the human figure has long been considered the cornerstone of artistic practice. To perfect their representation of human anatomy, musculature, and proportion, artists throughout the ages turned to ancient Greek and Roman sculpture. By imitating ancient precedents, the Old Masters of art developed a classical figural type that remained the predominant mode of representation for centuries. Following, the 16th and 17th centuries of the Renaissance took the classical figure to a higher level through the use of perspective, the study of human anatomy and proportion, and through their development of an unprecedented refinement in drawing and painting techniques.
In the present day, these leading contemporary artists have a heightened ability to understand and interpret their subject, while emphasizing the mind-set and methodologies that have guided artists for over five hundred years. Their figures are influenced by characteristics of today- feelings, surroundings, beliefs, and relationships, incorporated with new techniques and mediums, while still holding true the fundamentals of the classical form, thus becoming the New Masters.