Eric Dever, Zinc White on Burlap No 13, 2009
36 x 36 inches
June 20 – July 9, 2009
Painting itself is the subject of Dever’s ongoing project, spanning two years and 94 paintings. In his investigation of titanium and zinc white oil paint on canvas, linen, and burlap, the exclusive use of white has more to do with a focus on paint properties and supports and is less about color. This is a progression from Dever’s earlier color based work previously exhibited by Sara Nightingale Gallery in 2005.
Each piece is constructed with one or two brushes or knives. Supports are revealed as the negative space between multiple strokes or through the paint itself. Dever was introduced to Robert Ryman’s monochrome painting as an NYU graduate student of Marcia Hafif; both were influential artists of the Radical Painting Group formed in the late 70′s.
Whether applied in stacked or alternating strokes, concentric circles, or randomly placed marks with second tries and adjustments, qualities associated with current ‘Provisional Painting’ (Raphael Rubenstein, Art in America May’09), these paintings are part of a continuum. They are energetic and nonchalant.
