Thu 6/17 @ 5:30-8PM
As the title of the show at Artists Archives of the Western Reserve indicates, veteran northeast Ohio artist Ken Nevadomi has had a diverse career. A Wild Ride: Ken Nevadomi 1976-2006 showcases four categories of his work: pop & funk art, expressionist tableaux, modernist nudes and deconstructed paintings in which he slices and reweaves his own canvases. In his work, he addresses (at least obliquely) such topics as the pace of modern society, the impact of technology, its obsession with sex and the absurdities of religion.
“A fearless innovator and unapologetic iconoclast, Nevadomi’s creative journey rides like a rollercoaster: twisting, looping, and changing directions at break-neck speeds,” they say, continuing “Known for his provocative figure paintings which draw on influences from Expressionism to Pop Art and Surrealism, Nevadomi’s work stubbornly resists categorization and interpretation. This is no accident; it’s by design and Nevadomi outright refuses to give you a hand. Over decades, he has cultivated a reputation as one of the ‘most tightlipped painters in town,’ forcing viewers to make sense of the winding road ahead with nary a guidepost in sight.
“Ken is an all-out painter,” says curator Mindy Tousley. “Over the years he consistently has not held anything back in his work. His stream of consciousness paintings explore his inner life without fear, in combination with ongoing investigations of various styles of representation. His creative search for something new and unexpected has confounded viewers and he truly doesn’t care. To me this is a real badass attitude. He is predictably and enjoyably unpredictable.”
The exhibit opens with an in-person reception Thursday June 17 @ 5:30-8pm, and will be on view through August 7. Registration isn’t required anymore, but you must wear a mask.