BRIAN WILLS: SEEMINGLY
June 7 – July 19, 2014
Quint Gallery
7547 Girard Avenue, La Jolla, CA 92037
“The work measures color, motion, texture and depth, exploring the mechanics by which our visual cortex sees. The construction is layered, often creating one impression upon first viewing, then revealing itself gradually, after reflection and investigation.”
– Brian Wills, 2014
With an opening reception on Saturday, June 7th, Quint Gallery will present Seemingly, an exhibition of painting/sculpture by artist Brian Wills. Seemingly is about simplicity in form and color by use of single strand rayon thread as the primary material by Wills. This is the first exhibition for Wills at Quint Gallery. The opening reception on Saturday, June 7th from 6-8pm is open to the public and the artist will be in attendance.
The linear structure of Brian Wills’ paint/sculpture hybrids point to minimalism, but also give a nod to the phenomenological aspect of Southern California artists from the Light and Space movement. The oil and polyurethane paintings vibrate with color, like in Op Art. In the sculptures, Wills uses thread suspended over a wooden box to create subtle colors that become solid bright monochromes when viewed at an angle. The wedge works change as the viewer walks around the piece. By utilizing light and space, these pieces rely on perception and investigation. When reviewing the work for the Los Angeles Times in December 2013, Christopher Knight wrote:
“The differences between light reflection and absorption in the two materials disrupts optical continuity across the surface. The bars of rayon thread seem to glow from within, advancing and receding in space depending on your physical proximity to them and creating three-dimensional curves where none exist.”
Wills addresses ideas about abstraction and uses everyday materials to create extra-ordinary artworks. There is a rhythmic musicality to the paintings as they resonate with color and transform the space in which they exist through light.
Wills was born in Kentucky and currently lives and works in Los Angeles. Wills has an MA from Harvard and a BA from Denison University in Ohio. His work has been shown in gallery exhibitions in Los Angeles and New York. His work is in many public and private collections including La Colección Jumex, Mexico; The Jarl Mohn Family Foundation; and The Frederick R. Weisman Foundation.
