hidell brooks is thrilled to be opening a solo exhibition for seattle based artist david kroll this friday. we have been exhibiting david's beautiful paintings for sixteen years and every time his show comes around we are still in awe. his technical skills are beyond amazing and his attention to detail toward his subject matter is astounding. david holds a bfa from the san francisco art institute and a mfa from the school of the art institute of chicago. he went on to teach at the art institute of chicago for many years. david paints paintings to be personal refugees to escape into on a daily basis to keep the connection with nature that is lacking in today's hectic world. viewing his work transcends you into a place of calm awareness.
i paint personal refuges and interior landscapes - places to visit for solace and sanctuary. much of my work is intuitive. i try to create a connection – however fleeting - between the viewer and the power of landscape, the web of life, the idea of nature itself.
i think about the natural world not as an expendable resource but as a memory of home, the subject of longing and dreams. and i am fascinated by vessels, the egg, the nest, the bowl, the landscape, the sky- the parts of nature that hold and contain, whether natural or man-made. my paintings are also about contrast- the contrast between light and dark, movement and stillness, civilization and wilderness. these have been central themes of my work for many years
my blank canvases are approached without a predefined image and the painting is developed in a slow, organic way. painting in refined layers allows me to explore the narrative and emotional content of each composition over time. using this method, i try to express why a sunset fills us with wonder, why a certain quality of light can make a busy day suddenly still, and why the momentary sound of a bird call can seem - for that instant - like the most important thing in the world.
--david kroll 2014
the opening reception is friday, september 5th from 6-8 pm. david will be present at the reception. all available paintings by david kroll are on our website. please call the gallery if you need further information.
hidell brooks also has an ongoing group exhibtion with new works by selena beaudry, jacob cooley, page davis, charles walker, windy o'connor, sally king benedict, scott upton, virginia scotchie and eric aho.