SUMMER JAM offers an invitation to revel in the immediacy and joy of color—each painting a declaration of the sheer vitality of being alive. Click here for more information
Reafsnyder creates his exuberant paintings using palette knives, his own hands, and found objects—intentionally avoiding brushes to heighten a sense of raw, physical immediacy. Thick, lush, mixes of vividly tinted acrylic paint glide and gather across his canvasses in robust and unexpected color combinations. His works continually unfold, offering moments of delight, surprise, and sensual seduction, their delightful spontaneity translating not only in the artist’s energetic joy of making but also the viewer’s thrill of seeing—each painting a celebration of the boundless pleasure of being alive.
Intentionally shying away from the brooding legacy of Abstract Expressionism, Reafsnyder paints these recent works with a nod to grisaille—the technique of building luminous layers from a foundation of modulated greys. By mixing cool and warm tones into neutral bases, he builds surfaces of unexpected depth. In some of the works, (Pastry Store), icy greys peek through candy-colored swirls; in others, (Chop Shop) warm underlayers subtly glow beneath bold, gestural strokes. Ripping Good’s red intensity grabs attention immediately and unveils slowly, upon extended viewing. Nuance arises and space is disrupted while scale immerses the viewing into a complex array of movement and action.
“My paintings are exuberant and celebratory,” says Reafsnyder. “They intend to delight, glee, and exhilarate. I want to make works that present sudden, wild surprises and joyous acrobatics that can wiggle out from the burden of expectations.”
Michael Reafsnyder is an adjunct professor at Claremont University, CA, having earned his MFA from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. His works are featured in numerous public and private collections, most notably, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, and the Columbus Museum of Art. He lives and works in Los Angeles.
For more information or images, please contact alina@srcart.com or visit www.srcart.com
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Source: Scott Richards Contemporary Art
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