Voltz Clarke Gallery is pleased to present Disparity, a two-person exhibition of recent works by Jeff Chester and Joshua Avery Webster. The gallery will host an opening reception with both artists in attendance on Thursday, March 7th from 6-8 pm.
In his inaugural exhibition, Canadian painter Jeff Chester is presenting his most recent bodies of work, Au Milieu de L’Hiver and This Curious Object. French novelist and philosopher Albert Camus is credited with the inspiration for the title of the series, Au Milieu de L’Hiver which is excerpted from a longer quote that translates to, “In the depths of winter, I finally learned that there lay within me an invincible summer.” Chester draws from his personal experience and imagines his subjects in the midst of an existential crisis faced with either despair or rebellion against the absurdity of life. The monochrome panels accompanying the portraits allude to the void, specifically the nothingness of non-being. In contrast, the paintings in his series, This Curious Object focus on single portraits that aim to pose questions concerning identity and contemporary portraiture. In all, Chester’s work interrogates the self through a multiversal atemporal lens.
Jeff Chester has degrees in fine art, biological science, and education all executed in Canada and has exhibited nationally and internationally.
With a background in architecture and graphic design, Webster is drawn to lines and balance. He pushes each piece to its limit by working on uniquely shaped canvases and combining complementary hues in order to create an interesting overall painting. In addition to his experience, Webster finds inspiration in the work of the mid-century color field artists who explored the interplay of form, color, and texture. He aims to keep abstraction as the focus while using layering and pigment to elevate and separate the work from other abstract paintings. Webster’s recent experimentation with loose gestures and multidimensionality can be seen in the pieces selected for the exhibition.
Joshua Avery Webster has studied at Pratt, Tulane, the University of Sydney, and the School of Visual Arts, earning degrees in design and architecture. Webster’s work has been widely exhibited and published.
