Current exhibits
Of Tulips and Shadows: The Visual Metaphors of Dewey Crumpler
October 9, 2008 - April 26, 2009
This exhibition of selected works by Bay Area artist Dewey Crumpler presents paintings, sculptures, videos and installation pieces created over the last fifteen years. Crumpler's rich iconography establishes a dialogue between European, American and African art; from Dutch floral still life to African-inspired sculpture, his surfaces are rich in subtle hue variations and both smooth and rough textures. Dynamic, almost calligraphic forms appear endowed with a unique, organic quality. Lush tulips, cell-like elements, cosmic swirls, create a multi-layered surface with an unusual depth of field. Most recently, Crumpler has included in his canvases a shadow of a collar and a hooded character that stand for a particular state of consciousness and the capacity to transcend material constrains. As a whole, these multifaceted symbols become metaphors that reflect on philosophical, emotional, social and political concepts. Crumpler's work, filled with aesthetic formalism, escapes easy interpretations and challenges many assumptions of the postmodern era.
"My work deals with concepts of transformation. As African Americans, we managed to transform the circumstances around us; whether it be slavery or segregation, we created something powerful and full of beauty out of often horrible conditions."
sampling of works to be displayed
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