David Feinberg & Lynn A. Gray
2 Decades of Dogs
Oct 23 - Nov 20, 2008
St. Paul, MN. October 14, 2008 -- Beginning on Thursday, October 23rd, an exhibit of paintings, drawings and sculptures entitled 2 Decades of Dogs will be held at the Denler Art Gallery in Roseville.
The show is comprised of work by two Minnesota-based artists, David Feinberg and Lynn Gray. Since the 1970's, the artists have independently developed large bodies of work relating to dogs. Having worked together in the Art Department at the University of Minnesota for nearly 4 decades, at a certain point the two began discussing the possibility of combined canine-inspired show. An extended period of gestation followed, resulting in the decidedly quirky 2 Decades of Dogs.
The artists' respective uses of dogs very greatly in meaning and intent: Feinberg speaks of dogs as "symbols of protection against evil forces. . . respected for their spiritual powers against the unknown," where Lynn Gray's interest in dogs is decidedly less symbolic: many of his pieces are portraits of the wild dogs he cares for in Guerrero, Mexico each summer. Of the dogs, he writes, "these are not pampered pets, They live by their wits and their time is brief." Yet he also sees the work as "life drawing" and follows, "I have always seen the dog in me."
The artists' dueling visions resonate in surprising and occasionally jarring ways, alternating in tone from somber to maniacal, contemplative to playful. Both artists draw heavily from the history of expressionistic painting, and each shows a range of influences that they have internalized and transformed into their own respective expressive languages. Feinberg's work often lands somewhere between the excesses of 1980's Julian Schnabel and the funky street art of Keith Haring, while Lynn Gray's work relies more on the tortured figuration of German Expressionism and Neo-Expressionism, from Ernst Ludwig Kirchner to George Baselitz.
The paintings and drawings are installed "salon style," covering the wall nearly floor to ceiling and heightening both the playfulness and aggressiveness inherent in the work.
An opening reception will be held on Thursday, October 23rd from 6 to 8 PM. It will feature a musical performance entitled Music for Non-captive Audiences by Lynn Gray and special guest musician Rex King.
The event is free and open to the public.
About the Gallery
The Denler Art Gallery is located on the campus of Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minnesota and is dedicated to showing local, national and international artists of note.
For more information, including gallery hours and directions, contact Gallery Director Luke Aleckson at lbaleckson@nwc.edu or see http://art.nwc.edu/denler/about.html
Denler Art Gallery
c/o Northwestern College
3003 Snelling Avenue N
Saint Paul, MN 55113
(651) 286-7560
http://art.nwc.edu/denler
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