Matthew Blackwell “Picklelilly”

Edward Thorp Gallery

poster for Matthew Blackwell “Picklelilly”

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Picklelilly will be Matt Blackwell’s fifth solo show at the Edward Thorp Gallery and will include recent mixed media paintings and sculpture.
The show is titled after the tomato-based condiment sometimes called chili sauce canned in western new york state kitchens during the depression of the 30s,when self-sufficiency was a necessity, not a fashion. Unlike salsa, picklelilly relies on sugar and vinegar to impart its flavor rather than heat.

In Blackwell’s inspired vision of America, he works within a variety methods, at times rawand spontaneous, and at others analytical, but always delivered with driving authority and a touch of absurdity. Rather than reflecting a forlorn and nostalgic condition his participants are depicted as free spirits who not only persevere but also often prevail.

His highly expressive and lavishly imaginative paintings are infused with irreverent humor, their cheerfulness often offset by dark elements lurking in the background a skull, a devilish figure. Some of the works have an uncanny, fairy-tale quality. Others are almost documentary-like, capturing a moment within an individual’s existence. Incorporating both a flat paint application with dollops of impasto giving off a diverse, physical, rough-hewn quality. As in Prodigal Son, a large vertical canvas, a limping survivor of the ’60s walks through a large Bruegel-like landscape, sporting a vest made of palette scrapings.

Media

Schedule

from October 17, 2013 to November 30, 2013

Opening Reception on 2013-10-17 from 18:00 to 20:00

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