Bernard Childs Exhibition
Jason McCoy, Inc. (Midtown)
This event has ended.
The gallery is pleased to present an exhibition featuring oil paintings from the 1970s by American artist Bernard Childs (1910–1985).
In the early 1970s, Childs developed a keen interest in environmental issues. Scientific discoveries of the time lead him to consider the possible catastrophic destruction of our planet and how living things might survive. He meditated on distant worlds and ancient forms of life, such as insects, which became symbols of survival for him. He took little for granted and recognized beauty and value in every form of life, no matter how small; to Childs there was no hierarchy of life where humans were considered superior. His 1970s paintings fuse Childs’ fascination with science fiction, technology, space exploration and the survival of unexpected species of life.
In contrast to their sometimes severe themes, Childs’ celestial arrangements of vibrant spherical forms are tranquil, inviting, and hypnotic. These poetic images emanate a warm pastel glow within a spectrum of their own radiating light, generating a sense of translucent depth. Childs’ luminous palette was inspired by a visit to Stockholm in June 1970, which left the artist captivated by the city’s mid-summer light. All these influences would drive the next seven years of his career, culminating in a body of work that revolved around the survival of the planet, living and dying suns, insect and vegetable life, and the formal qualities of color and light.
[Image: Bernard Childs "He Who Loves the Earth Must Love the Worm" (1973) oil on canvas 45 x 55.5 in.]
Media
Schedule
from May 01, 2012 to June 29, 2012
Opening Reception on 2012-05-04 from 18:00 to 20:00