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Toomey Tourell Fine Art

December 15 - February 1, 2010

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49 Geary Street San Francisco, CA 94108
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Population My Little Fish, 2009, oil on glass 12 x 12 inches
Reception with the artist: Thursday, January 7th from 5:30-7:30 PM. Turner, a Los Angeles based painter, has in the past been most closely associated with moody, neo Romantic landscapes. This new and massive portrait series is a grouping of 125-150, 12 × 12 inch likenesses painted on panel and glass. Though a shift in subject matter, the process for the artist is intrinsically the same – an investigation into gradations of light, as well as the tension between looseness and precision, clarity and obscurity. These opposing forces are reconciled by the balance of the representation, or actual likeness of the subject, with the inner experience or “essence” gleaned from the painting process. Working on a slick glass surface allows Turner to apply thick generous amounts of paint, color being the initial part of the exercise. The background is painted before the head to find the emotion or the color that intuitively feels right. This approach gives free rein to his thoughts and feelings and facilitates his psychological exploration of the subject. Or, as Turner has stated, “Finding and projecting ideas and sensations while engaged in creating a portrait enables me to enjoy a more intimate understanding of people I care about, while affording rewarding insights into human character, individual personality, and the function of art.” The evolution of method, subject matter, and technique is for the artist a formal one – related to his own adventures and experiences, but also rooted in the grand tradition of painting itself.