Maxwell Alexander’s August exhibition will feature a new group of smaller-scale paintings by powerhouse Western artist G. Russell Case. The paintings in the show—which roughly measure between 8 and 12 inches on the longest side—are what the artist calls “starters.”
Morning Inspiration, oil, 12 x 12 in.“I usually keep [them] in the studio to inspire larger work,” says Case. “When I’m starting new work, I like to get started with smaller pairings, [then] I jump in by going after the first composition or idea that strikes me quickly and directly.” The process can often be hit or miss. “But the hits can usually possess a freshness that’s hard to replicate in the larger work,” he continues. “The subjects can range in variety depending on my mood that morning, but usually it’s not the subject matter that makes the call, it’s usually a design idea that I go after.”
Quiet and Soft, oil, 10 x 12 in.
The paintings in the show are soft and tranquil, all featuring various landscapes emblematic of the unique beauty of the Southwest—towering cliff faces of chiseled rock punctuated by dramatic shadows. And almost every piece features people somewhere in the composition, even if they’re tiny in size. The figures serve to add both a human element to the paintings, as well as introduce a sense of scale when it comes to the colossal size of these geological features.
Navajo Rock, oil, 8 x 10 in.
(It’s also a bit difficult not to notice the irony that this group of paintings, while small in literal size, capture scenes of enormous proportions.)
His 12-by-12-inch oil Morning Inspiration features a warm palette of soft reds, with people resting in the foreground also clad in red hues. “Morning Inspiration was about that distance I was feeling between the foreground with [the] figures and the massive canyon walls behind them,” Case says of the piece.
Sun Stone, oil, 12 x 16 in.
Another standout in the show is Navajo Rock, a gentle scene that tends toward cooler tones of various blues and purples. “Navajo Rock was all about the light breaking through the clouds to spotlight a given Mesa,” the artist comments.
The neutral-toned Quiet and Soft, featuring a tiny shepherd and sheep in the foreground, is “inspired by the soft clay colors and the repeated shadow shapes.”
The exhibition will be held online only at Maxwell Alexander Gallery from August 3 to 24. —
Maxwell Alexander Gallery 1300 N. Lake Avenue » Pasadena, CA » (213) 275-1060 » www.maxwellalexandergallery.com
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