Painter's Work Draws from Nature

Freedom From Illusion

FOR RELEASE: March 2, 2012

The work of Raymond Yeager is on view at Ingham Chapman Gallery of the University of New Mexico-Gallup. Yeager is a professor of art and the curator of the Frankenberger Gallery at the University of Charleston in West Virginia. He was formerly the chair of the Division of Humanities and Fine Arts and Associate Professor of Art at MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Ill..

Yeager’s exhibition at the gallery is a series of abstract paintings of complex images taken from nature, done in charcoal, oil, encaustic on wood and mixed media, and most are from his Janus series.

As the artist explains, “During the last couple of years, the main focus of my work has been concerned with the formal investigation of perception. I am exploring that moment between seeing and comprehending. I want to captivate the viewer with something that may not be understandable or recognizable at first glance but will absorb the viewer’s attention and keep it. In my work, I strive to create an imagery that is at once naturalistic, yet abstract.”

He begins the process for developing the imager with sketches, observations and photographs of a subject. The subject must offer possibilities for visual complexity. Mostly, he focuses on images from the natural world. Once the study of the subject is concluded, Yeager scans the sketches and photographs into Photoshop and manipulates them through different perspectives, contrasts and cropping.

“The result is a dissolution of the subject into abstract forms suggestive of a variety of visual phenomena,” he continues in his artistic statement. “After this process, the image is then printed and used as a guide for my paintings. The overall effect of this technique renders an image that is abstract, yet grounded in reality.”

The exhibition will be on view through March 29, with a reception on March 22 at 6:30 p.m. in the Gallery. For more information contact Interim Gallery Manager Alex Kraft, akraft01@unm.edu, 505.863.7774. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.