Pre-Emineminence, 2003 oil on linen, 65.75 x 45.75 Ron Kleemann Nascar Paintings Frank Bernarducci and Louis K. Meisel are pleased to announce the solo exhibition of renowned photorealist painter Ron Kleemann entitled, "Nascar Paintings". These newest works, the continuing evolution of the artist's celebrated and long run series of racecar paintings, are among the finest works from an artistic career devoted to the representation of all that is shiny, sleek, and fast. Painting cars, fire engines, and trucks for over 30 years, Ron Kleemann has captured with brush and canvas every facet of the racecar industry, and has secured his status as Fine Art's most important painter of the genre. With clever and often tongue-in-cheek titles, these recent works capture the competition, color, excitement, and often overlooked visual intensity of "Nascar". Representing the full spectrum of the NASCAR machine, Kleemann depicts every stage of the race from the pit, to the trailer, to the course. In "Pre-Emineminance", the viewer can see Kleemann's masterful use of color and collage-like use of composition and the result is a vibrant image that is at once splendid and intriguing. "Reflectcelfer", ("reflect" spelled forward and backward) as the title would suggest, is an artistic crescendo of reflected light, as it rhythmically moves among the varied and rich textures of chrome, steel, and pavement. Kleemann's initial foray into the world of car racing came in 1970, when he compiled his first critically acclaimed series of paintings of Grand Prix automobiles. The success of these works led to a series of paintings from the Indianapolis 500, where he was honored with numerous commissions including magazine cover and program booklet illustrations. In his distinguished career, Kleemann has depicted the cars and drivers of Johnny Rutherford, now in the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and Janet Guthrie, the first woman to drive at Indy. These newest images, with their fauv colors and dramatic compositions, are reminiscent of early 20 th century cubism coupled with late 19 th century post-impressionism, and are clearly photorealist in result. The tensions between each meticulously rendered tube and sheet of gleaming chrome overwhelm the viewer, while the seductive and sinuous lines of the brilliantly painted fiberglass soften, whilst not diluting, the composition. Exhibition: 4 December 2004 - 14 January 2005 Gallery hours: Tue-Sat 10 am - 5:30 pm Bernarducci Meisel Gallery 37 West 57th Strett USA-New York, NY 10019 Telephone +1 212 593 3757 Fax +1 212 593 3933 Email frankb@meiselgallery.com www.bernarduccimeisel.com |
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