July 13 to August 3, Maxwell Alexander Gallery will present a showcase of skull- themed paintings in the exhibition Grey
Matter. For the exhibit artists were not restricted to just still lifes and could create anything they desired based upon the theme. Any imagery that skulls conjured up for the artists can appear in the exhibition including animal skulls, human skulls, a face painted skull, and so on.
Artists participating in the show include Andrew Smenos, Kim Cogan, Nicholas Coleman, and Vincent Xeus, along with others represented by the gallery.
“My affinity and fright for the skull always tangled in duality since the day my father brought home my first skull when I was 10,” says Xeus. “The human skull shelters fear of the unknown and yet it’s the same emotion that kindles my obsession to search for truth. Obscuring the young woman’s figurative identity gives recognition and tolerance to the existence of the concealed, lending truth the chance to bring meaning to clarity. Imprinting marks the transformation from mindless fear to lucidity, emptied forms to freedom. One seeks relevance of his being through this constant exchange and integral transition. The painting Imprint portrays the pursuit of truth that reveals who we are.”
Cogan’s painting for the show, aptly titled anitas, is a small-scale contemporary piece that references the still life painting genre of the same name from the Netherlands in the early-17th century.
“It is one of three skull paintings that will be included in the July exhibition,” says Cogan. “The skull paintings are an ongoing series, which study anatomy and are painted directly from life. The paintings are unique and nuanced through dramatic lighting and angled compositions.”