May, 2010 Exhibit

Jeff Waring : Becoming and Unbecoming

Slideshow of images from Show

Becoming and Unbecoming describes both the process and product of artist Jeff Waring. Plein air meets plain dirt, with cardboard and acorns mixed in. Waring's open field recipes include buckets of house paint and tar, handfuls of pollen and berries, and generous splashes of acrylics and inks, sun-dried and rain-soaked.

Waring's work is relational, contextual, and evolving. Two steps forward are followed by at least one step back. Semi-dry layers are washed away to expose underlying elements. Serpentine lines and undulating forms vie for space within layers of imperfect formality. This is a visceral and chthonic offering of homegrown authenticity, inspired first and foremost by the visual potential of the material world at hand.

Waring's small works contemplate the immensity and tenacity of Nature, while larger works grapple with the smallmindedness of our lifestyles and politics. Through his work, Waring posits an acceptance of the sensuous complexity of life in all places, within people, parking lots and plateaus, and sprouting from urban gutters and mountain passes. Becoming and Unbecoming is an acceptance of continuous change, coupled with a call for humility and wonder.