Jeff Depner “Vague Affinities”

Nancy Margolis Gallery

[Image: Jeff Depner "Echo" (2016) Oil and acrylic on canvas on board, 22 x 14.5" in.]

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Nancy Margolis Gallery presents Jeff Depner’s second solo exhibition, titled Vague Affinities.

Experiencing Depner’s earlier work from his last show in 2013 allows for the opportunity to look back and examine the striking differences between his new work and the hard edge geometric abstract forms shown previously. In the new work it is clear that the artist made decisive changes as to concept, structure, composition, and technique, maintaining some of the earlier ideas and letting go of others. In both series the technique of layering color is used but the application and effect are totally dissimilar. In the earlier series Depner used thick paint and a knobby texture with the exacting straight edge geometric patterns. This is in decided contrast to the minimalist composition, thinned layers of paint, and light markings in his new series.

The overall effect in the new work is a loose spontaneity and lightness, brush strokes layered one over the other, and a surface transparency revealing the under markings. Depner has been dealing with geometric forms for most of his career, but there is a noticeable progressive maturity and evolution to each successive series that comes forth, all interesting. The paintings in this exhibition, though not large, have an imposing stature, so much so that one could imagine them as blueprints for large scaled paintings.

JEFF DEPNER is an artist based in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He received his BFA in design and illustration from Capilano University, Vancouver, Canada and has shown widely across Canada, the United States, and Europe (Basel and Germany). He first showed at Nancy Margolis Gallery in a group show, Cast Party, in spring 2013, to enthusiastic reception and had his first New York solo exhibition with the gallery in November 2013. In 2011 he was one of one hundred artists included in Rising – Young Artists To Keep An Eye On!, published by Daab books. His work has also been featured in several other publications and art blogs, including Artbox Magazine, Ruby Mag, The Globe and Mail, and Snap Magazine.