Nüart Gallery presents “Equilibrium," a solo exhibition of new work by Kevin Tolman. The exhibition will run June 11ththrough June 27th 2021 with an opening reception on Friday, June 11th, from 5:00 - 7:00 pm.
Kevin Tolman's mixed media paintings are full of lively mark making and layers of lush texture and while purely abstract, are also deeply evocative of the natural world. Tolman’s work is influenced by his keen observations of nature near his home along the Rio Grande in New Mexico, as well as his excursions further afield and his travels around the world.
The paintings in Kevin Tolman's new solo exhibition Equilibrium, are a continuation of the artist's exploration of the balance between nature and culture, between the organic and the geometric, between improvisation and control. Formally, the work is achieved by taking risks, Tolman says. In his studio, he creates problems, encourages accidents, which forces him to solve puzzles in the work. "This is a bit of an elaborate game," he writes, "that means that a piece evolves in an almost rhythmic way, alternating between some planning or decision making, and a great deal of improvisational experimentation." The work in Tolman's Equilibrium series also balance his more naturally-inspired, synesthetic/organic work, as well as the more graphically-inspired linear/geometric paintings which are often the result of his travels. In either case, Tolman says that the paintings must be listened to. "They definitely seem to have their own voice," the artist writes, "and I often need to circle in on them, and to not hurry them, so as to hear that voice. They just take time… and it pleases me to slowly nurture these pieces into fruition.”
Kevin Tolman has been painting for over four decades, and exhibiting his work in galleries, museums, and universities across the United States where his paintings are included in a large number of private, corporate, and public collections. His work has also been exhibited internationally in Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, England, and in Portugal. A Tolman canvas is included in the Albuquerque Museum’s permanent collection, and his work now hangs in the collections of the New Mexico State Capitol, and the University of New Mexico. Recently a large canvas was purchased by the city for installation in the Albuquerque Convention Center.
