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September Issue 2004
Summit One Gallery in Highlands, NC, Features Works by Tom Bluemlein & John Mac Kah
The Summit One Gallery in Highland, NC, will
present the exhibit, One Man Show X's Two, featuring works
by Tom Bluemlein and John Mac Kah, from Sept. 4 through Oct. 6,
2004.
John Mac Kah
For John Mac Kah of Asheville, NC, painting is ultimately about the natural world. In painting the natural world, he is interested in arresting a moment's perception and has tried to build a vocabulary to explain the intricacies of what he perceives. Mac Kah feels that he cannot reproduce what he sees, but hopefully he can simplify it into forms that can be read by the viewer with some truth.
The inspired moment occurs in a microsecond
of understanding, but in that fraction of time Mac Kah sees a
finished painting that represents his understanding. The exacting
hours at the easel are about keeping that moment in time pure.
Mac Kah believes that technique is nothing more than building
a usable vocabulary. Being knowledgeable in the correct application
of materials and using them in a craftsman like fashion extends
his proficiency in keeping that inspired vision alive.
Mac Kah has built a visual language around the painters of the
19th Century that reflect his engagement in similar concerns:
they explored and raised questions about the relationship of man
and nature and those questions are still valid. These influences
include the Barbizon; Hudson River School; Dusseldorf School of
German Naturalism and especially Ivan I. Shiskin, the premier
Russian landscape artist; Charles R. Knight, animal painter; George
Inness and the ideas of William Morris.
Tom Bluemlein
Tom Bluemlein focuses on land and waterscapes
with an ethereal touch. He enjoys the use of conditions like clouds
and fog with a strong focused light. Of course, his western landscapes
tend to be more light filled. Many of Bluemlein's paintings are
created in the Smoky Mountain and Southern Appalachian regions
of the United States.
Schooled in Cincinnati, OH, and Woodstock, NY, Bluemlein can be
found in his Fort Mitchell, KY, studio, where he blends the East
and West in the lovely north light, which illuminates his studio.
His legacy paintings are spiritually natured works using landscape
and metaphor to express and visualize a person's spirit. The primary
question Bluemlein asks when interviewing a legacy candidate is
"How do you want to be remembered for having lived your life?"
The answer tells Bluemlein volumes about the person.
Bluemlein enjoys people and social interaction. This makes legacy
painting a natural extension to his normal repertoire. A legacy
painting will express a side of an individual that is subtle yet
powerful. This is what he refers as "One's essence".
This "essence" flows naturally from Bluemlein and helps
him define his own legacy in the process. "Traditional portraits
are wonderful, however I choose the special challenge of depicting
a person through nature." says Bluemlein.
Bluemlien will also be the featured artist on Sept. 6, 2004, for an Evening of Fine Art, Fine Wine and Fine Dining at Wolfgang's on Main in Highlands. Markham Vineyards will be the featured wines that evening. John Mac Kah will be the featured artist on Sept. 13, 2004, as will wines by Truchard Vineyards. And of course, the fabulous six course dinner prepared by Chef Wolfgang will highlight these evenings. To make reservations please call: 828/526-3807.
For further information check our NC Commercial Gallery listings, call the gallery at 828/526-2673 or on the web at (www.summitonegalley.com).
Carolina Arts is published monthly by Shoestring Publishing Company, a subsidiary of PSMG, Inc. Copyright© 2004 by PSMG, Inc., which published Charleston Arts from July 1987 - Dec. 1994 and South Carolina Arts from Jan. 1995 - Dec. 1996. It also publishes Carolina Arts Online, Copyright© 2004 by PSMG, Inc. All rights reserved by PSMG, Inc. or by the authors of articles. Reproduction or use without written permission is strictly prohibited. Carolina Arts is available throughout North & South Carolina.