J IM
NAPIE R A L A
reception august 2nd 6 – 9 pm
Mesmerizing and complex, the process-intensive paintings of New York City-based artist Jim Napierala superimpose the gestural freedom of Abstract Expressionism atop the rigor of the modernist grid. The paintings are the end result of a working method developed by the artist in 2000 and constantly evolved and adjusted since that time. Methodically taping off sections of a maple plywood panel, Napierala slices into the tape with a blade, creating curvaceous, biomorphic forms with a spontaneity reminiscent of Dadaist automatic drawing. Repeating the process vertically and horizontally as he builds up layers of acrylics and gleaming aluminum leaf, he achieves a viscerality so tangible, it verges on the sculptural. “The way I treat paint,” he says, “tends to be more as a material than as an effect.” Each piece has its own chromatic personality stemming from a lively intuitive intimacy with color. Deep reds and vibrant oranges push and pull against cool turquoise and chartreuse as the looping, arcing forms vanish and reappear beneath a shimmering, checkerboard-like ground that recalls the play of light on water and the dazzling effects of pointillism. The works reference the gilded wood panels of Byzantine icons, the transformative processes of medieval alchemy, and the contemporary city grid, whose order underlies the chaos of urban life. Allusive as they are, the works function most glamorously as what the artist terms “pure retinal experience.” The flecks of color and reflective metal jut forward and recede as the viewer beholds the painting from different angles, affording a kind of interactive spatial dialogue between the painting and its owner. “I’m interested in dichotomies,” Napierala explains. “I love the relationship between positive and negative space, gesture and structure, the contrast between colors and forms-and the process of getting them to work together as a whole.” RICHARD SPEER
august 2nd – september 26th, 2008 reception saturday august 2nd 6 – 9 pm
Front Cover: Buffalo Squeeze 36" x 32" flashe, aluminum leaf and acrylic on wood, 2008
San Expedito 64" x 48" flashe, aluminum leaf and acrylic on wood, 2008
Alchemia dell Occhio 24" x 22" flashe, aluminum leaf and acrylic on wood, 2008
L’alchemie de L’espirit 24" x 22" flashe, aluminum leaf and acrylic on wood, 2008
Fornax Chemica 32" x 36" flashe, aluminum leaf and acrylic on wood, 2008
Atchafalaya 36" x 32" flashe, aluminum leaf and acrylic on wood, 2008
518 julia street, new orleans, la 70130
The Firmament 32" x 36" flashe, aluminum leaf and acrylic on wood, 2008 ARTWORK © JIM NAPIERALA 2008 CATALOG © GALLERY BIENVENU 2008
504.525.0518
www.gallerybienvenu.com