Shapes of purpose at the River Gallery

New paintings by Frank Holmes

	Contributed photos “Doing What They Do Best,” (above) a six by eight-inch oil on wood painting, and “The Way It Is,” (below) an oil on panel painting of the same size, are featured in Frank Holmes’ new show at the River Gallery. (Click for larger image)

NARROWSBURG, NY — Narrowsburg resident Frank Holmes is known worldwide for his realistic paintings wherein disparate objects are combined into what has been called imaginary realism. He has always reveled in painting scenes that don’t really exist, such as a small train running across an oriental carpet, a skyscraper sitting in a foyer, or an orange that appears within grasp, hovering over ground.

While maintaining this fundamental approach, Holmes new exhibition, “The Other Side,” represents a departure now that abstraction cohabits with realism. His series of oil paintings will open with a reception at the River Gallery on Friday, September 12 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Holmes’ abstract elements are dark, minimal shapes posing against sky—standing, leaning, flying or strutting. The scale is small. As in all of his work, shapes are meticulously executed, impeccably situated and highly finessed. These entities seem quite alive though; in fact, they have significant attitude.

Similar to arrogant teenagers casually occupying available space, they provoke and challenge our very presence by their own. Still, this attempt at power is playful; designed to be slightly sinister at first glance, these animated forms with their odd posturing are comical at core level. It is as if we can dialogue with these shapes and find out about life from them.

Holmes describes the making of these paintings as “a little excursion I didn’t know I was going to take.

“These images stem from a figure painting that took sort of a wrong turn. It was a small painting of a single figure standing silhouetted against sea and sky. Gradually, as I worked, I began to simplify the human form and make it more geometric. It hadn’t been my intention to make such a drastic change from my previous painting, but eventually the figure lost its humanness altogether and became a simple monolithic shape with an imposing presence.

“The horizon before which it stood was low, so the shape seemed very large, and oddly purposeful; it seemed to be there for a reason.

“I still feel that about these images in general; I get the feeling something is about to happen. The presence of a seemingly alien shape in the glow of an evening sky sets the stage for what could be an unusual event,” he said.

A graduate of Pratt Insitute of Art, Holmes received the Rome Prize in Painting and studied at the American Academy in Italy for two years. He has exhibited work at The American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters in New York, the Grand Palais in Paris, Charleston Museum of Art, Dayton Art Institute, The National Academy of Sciences and many other museums and galleries. His work is collected by personalities such as Sir Elton John.

Reviews of Holmes’ work have been published in The New York Times, Art In America, Artnews, Arts Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, Artweek, Harper’s and other publications.

The River Gallery is open Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. “The Other Side” runs through Sunday, October 5.

For more information call 845/252-3230.