The Knapp Gallery is pleased to welcome Jon Eckel back for his second solo show. Jon is the fulfillment of the Knapp Gallery’s mission to seek and exhibit emerging artists and was the first artist shown with the opening of the gallery nearly three years ago.
Eckel, a 28 year old native Philadelphian, graduate of Tyler School of Art, has concentrated his lifelong artistic tenure brushing into life surreal laden environments embedded with post modern form and figure. His colorful, often dark and poetic, “visionscapes” contradict an urban adolescence and catapult us through dreams forgotten into future awakenings. Visioning best describes his artistic contribution as a new contemporary art genre.
Painting away our dread, revitalizing our lost sense of hope, Eckel repairs our forsaken and broken innocence. Cubist rhythms underscore a bravado expressionist Beckmanesque palette. The paintings writhe with vibrant jolts of color, texture, and bold restive figures. Intimate and provocative themes are by turns poignant, comical, and mysterious. Compositionally bi-polar, bridging space with shape and line, Eckel belies the dichotomous veil separating simplicity from complexity.
Challenged by his unique orientation of form and figure to structure, a bending and folding of space, we are called to trust his path out from the dark into the light. Shifting themes, heavenward heads, a tilted hat, one senses a winking eye from the creator. Drama’s embrace calls to remembrance our fears, dashed hopes and unfulfilled expectations. And then, with a touch of light and seemingly a single brushstroke we are set free.
For this exhibition Eckel concentrates on refining his craft as a language. He offers more of himself, the paintings more organic and personal, spiritual even. “I’m a painter not a writer. I must be able to communicate a message within my discipline and within my skills set. I’m more confident now.”
With this increased confidence “Gravity and Levity” evidences a profound and evocative freedom. There exists an endearing, inviting and familiar quality. In their speaking, these paintings call and draw us to them. We are embraced by their warmth.