Stellar Spirits | James Oliver Gallery

James Oliver Gallery in Philadelphia is pleased to present Stellar Spirits: a three-person exhibition featuring Matthew Hance, Kurt Herrmann, and Rhys Douglas Farrell. On view through October 21st, join the artists at the Opening Reception on Saturday, 9/9/23, from 6-9pm.

The painters, working in different modes, transmute color to create a constellated atmosphere of literary nature. Embodied through geometry, figure, and object, the color language of the works emits a felt frequency. In this display, the artists' sensitivities assemble into an interpretive narrative:

Rhys Douglas Farrell of Calgary, Alberta, is a graduate from Alberta University of the Arts where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts with Distinction (Drawing and Painting). His work is a combination of beautiful color combinations, complex patterns and geometric shapes. Farrell's work being highly sought after in collectorship, he is regarded internationally and represented by the Herringer Kiss Gallery in Calgary, Alberta, Mosquito Agency in Vancouver, British Columbia and TAKSU Gallery in Singapore.

Rhys Farrell⁠, Earthly Endeavours, Acrylic and aerosol on wood panel⁠, 40" diameter, 2023.⁠

The amalgamation of his visually illusory elements embody a collection of decisions, interests and sensations. Farrell's works are constructed to create a sensory experience through the use of colour theory principles, geometric shapes, and pattern manipulation.

Kurt Herrmann is a painter working in the Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania who does both figurative and abstract work, but regards himself above all as a colorist at heart. Recent shows have been both national and international: Tasmania (Penny Contemporary), New Orleans (Octavia Gallery), Auckland (12 Gallery), Philadelphia (James Oliver Gallery). Although his exhibition schedule is increasingly international, Herrmann’s rural Pennsylvania roots continue to influence his work.

For Herrmann, "Color does not need to represent anything other than itself. It is universal yet nothing is more personal. And that’s how I present these paintings. I’m distilling something that struck me, but the interpretations and feelings they provoke in others can be infinite." Many of the shapes, forms and colors in Herrmann's work have been extracted from mountain scenes of Pennsylvania, but also involve memories and places never travelled to: tree trucks, winter skies, deer legs, and more.

Kurt Herrmann⁠, Wahoo, Acrylic on Canvas⁠, 48 x 48"⁠

North American artist, Matthew Hance works primarily in oil and combines classical traditions of portraiture with an aesthetic sensibility of our modern age. Matthew Hance studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art and Pratt Institute (USA). His work is in numerous collections both in the states and internationally.

Hance's paintings are inspired by the ephemeral qualities of the human condition, the fundamentals of color theory, and the nature of alchemy.