Where: Ro2 Art in The Cedars
1501 S. Ervay St. Dallas, TX 75215
When: January 15, 2022 – February 12, 2022
Dallas, November 2021 – Ro2 Art is proud to present Julon Pinkston: Marshwiggle Apparitions. The exhibition will run from January 15, 2022 through February 12, 2022. An opening reception will take place at Ro2 Art in The Cedars, located at 1501 S. Ervay St, Dallas, TX, 75215 from 7-10 PM.
In this body of work, Julon Pinkston departs from abstraction, using his unique process to describe elements of nature in bloom. Gesture gives way to organic forms in this newest series. Pinkston introduces darker color palettes to counterbalance his signature vibrant compositions. His heavy application of acrylic accumulates into a thick impasto, fabricating works bordering on sculpture. Asymmetries create a rhythmic dynamism in Pinkston’s paintings. The creeping forms lure the viewer in to a realm of impossible fauna.
Artist Statement
“Suppose we only dreamed, or made up, all those things –trees and grass and sun and moon and stars…. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real one.” – from the character Puddleglum, C. S. Lewis, The Silver Chair.
I have been making acrylic paint into sculptural like objects since 2011. Before that I was making paintings and drawings which were photo-based realism. I enjoy pushing the conventions that confine artistic media, and particularly creating works of art which explore composition and inventing impasto painting techniques. I use dried acrylic paint and form it into objects or shapes and weave them in my paintings in a collage like fashion. This new body of work, created during 2020-2021, combines three-dimensional painting with two-dimensional illusion, an idea I have been interested in for a long time.
The paintings have a swamp like, watery aesthetic and type of hyper-artificial garden, inventing objects to work into these paintings. These organic forms tap into childhood fantasies about a second earth and a parallel universe to our own earth. The acrylic paint which mimics flowers and drooping web-like ropes, fictional objects appear and seem to be falling or floating.
I felt like recently, in light of the pandemic — with all the loss of life and disruption, we have an excuse to inquire about what’s important in life. For me, I found balance in many walks in a local Houston park, where I could be surrounded by a little refuge of nature. Getting outside can be good for the soul. I pondered the idea of the world simply being a dream and that the things
we think we know are made up. Art is a way of discovering truths of the subconscious, and, of course, part of the unspoken language, which to me, makes this world far more bearable and appealing. This year’s work is like a spontaneous dance, where I hope to breathe this subconscious into the work, while exploring the realities, I hope to gain a deeper understanding.
About The Artist
Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Julon Pinkston first began his studio practice in college after serving as an Infantry soldier in the US Army. It was as a result of the military experience and experiencing personal loss that spurred him into taking the bold move and practicing studio art as a career, embracing an Army motto Fortuna Favet Fortibus (Fortune Favors the Bold).
Julon Pinkston earned a BFA, graduating Summa Cum Laude from the University of Houston in 2003. He went on to earn an MFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of North Texas, College of Visual Art and Design in 2008. After graduating he moved home to Houston and began teaching as an adjunct professor at various community colleges and working as an art teacher at Houston Independent School District. His work has been exhibited in various art fairs, featured at Houston’s Art Car Museum, the Beeville Art Museum, McMurtrey Gallery, and Zoya Tommy Contemporary Galley, where he is currently represented in Houston.
His work explores the transformity of acrylic painting as a media while maintaining a seductive, elegant quality.
About Ro2 Art http://www.Ro2art.com
Ro2 Art is a contemporary fine art gallery with spaces in The Cedars Neighborhood and Downtown Dallas, representing a diverse group of emerging, mid-career, and established contemporary artists – many with ties to the North Texas Region. The gallery, founded in 2010 by mother-and-son partners Susan Roth Romans and Jordan Roth, regularly collaborates with organizations such as The MAC and Cedars Union. Ro2 Art has been named Dallas Observer’s Best Art Gallery and was presented with the 25th Annual Obelisk Award for small business by the North Texas Business Council for the Arts. The gallery’s art fair program has included the Dallas Art Fair, Texas Contemporary, and Art Aspen. More info: http://www.ro2art.com
All works will be on view January 15, 2022 – February 12, 2022. Please join us for the opening reception on Saturday, January 15, 2022, 7-10 PM at Ro2 Art, located at 1501 S Ervay St, Dallas TX 75215. For more information, visit http://www.Ro2art.com, or call Jordan Roth at (214) 802- 9575.
