September 2011

Flanders Gallery in Raleigh, NC, Offers Works by Jason Craighead

Flanders Gallery in Raleigh, NC, will present the exhibit, Detachment, featuring works by Jason Craighead, on view from Sept. 2 through Oct. 1, 2011. A reception will be held on Sept. 2, from 6-10pm.

The show will include works on paper in a full range of sizes up to 22”w x 30”h, several large-scale works on canvas, and an installation collage of small drawings and random text.

The exhibition marks Craighead’s first major exhibition in over a year. It also represents a dramatic evolution in his work, which has been widely recognized for the layers of paint that seem to veil the brushstrokes behind them.

The Raleigh News & Observer’s Michele Natale once wrote of his paintings: “Beneath the curtains of poured paint, edges of color and hidden activity hint at the processes of building and rebuilding...” The Independent Weekly’s Amy White has referred to his “insistent gestural layering of painted and pencil-drawn lines, which are in turn layered and brushed over with pale washes that read as fog or atmosphere...”

According to Craighead, events and self discovery over the past two or three years have caused him to begin lifting that veil, pulling the curtain back, and washing away the fog. This is immediately evident in such works for the show as Compare Me To No One, a 76”w x 80”h mixed media on canvas painting.

“I’m no longer holding anything back,” Craighead said. “The new work is raw, powerful, and emotional. The layers are stripped off. My tears are right there to be seen. I’m making real, honest work because I’m inspired to do so, and for no other reason. It is both scary and thrilling.”

Craighead realizes, he said, that the inspiration for this new work was a direct result of his systematic detachment - hence the title of the show - from gallery representation that he did not feel was supportive of his evolution as an artist.

“Part of getting myself in the right place mentally was getting myself in the right places physically, like Flanders Gallery. It has been so refreshing and inspiring to work with someone like [Flanders director] Kelly McChesney, who honestly values an artist’s creativity, truly believes in the work she represents, and completely supports her artists’ careers.”

Craighead is a recognized leader in the North Carolina art scene. His work has been included in many solo and group exhibitions throughout the Southeastern United States. He has received numerous awards and served as a juror for various art shows. He has been selected as Signature Artist for charitable art auctions, and his work has been featured in a number of publications, including Artists & Art Galleries of the Southeast. He has also been an active participant in the Raleigh arts community for many years and is a member of the City of Raleigh Arts Commission.

The exhibition will include the work of artist Holly Fischer, whose white clay figurative and abstract sculptures will be juxtaposed against the backdrop Craighead’s paintings and installation.

For further information check our NC Commercial Gallery listings, call the gallery at 919/834-5044 or visit (www.flandersart.com).

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