Press Release: Art Exhibition by Aaron Nagel

Written by Kirsten Incorvaia for The Shooting Gallery.

Marks:

New Works by Aaron Nagel

The Shooting Gallery is proud to present Marks: New Works by Aaron Nagel. This exhibition is a reaction to organized religion, using lusty women to symbolize a new order of saints. Please join us for the opening reception of Marks on Saturday, March 6^th, 2010, from 7-11 pm.

Marks is Aaron Nagel’s largest and most cohesive body of work to date. The eleven oil paintings in this series use imagery of youthful women in the nude, often impaled by archery arrows. These figures embody Catholic martyrs such as St. Sebastian, offering atheists and skeptics an alternative to traditional religious symbolism. Although the women are naked and impaled their facial expression and body language is unaffected. Standing tall with transfixed eyes, the figures’ hands are often dripping with black paint to represent a guilty and nefarious past. As Aaron is inspired by the contrast between power and the fragility of the human body, Marksis infused with imagery that is at once calm and violent.

A large part of Nagel’s process is to seek out a model with a distinct look and demeanor. Because he is so selective with his models, he tends to use each one in several different paintings. Aaron photographs the women in his own home studio, later inserting text or graphic elements in a digital comp. He then meticulously lays down the line work onto canvas, taking measurements to ensure that the composition is balanced. The oil paint is then applied in thin layers to reveal a warm, highly rendered figure and stark background. Although self-taught, Nagel has developed a regimented painting process that shows a strong visual bond between his finished works.

Within the past year, this Oakland based artist has exhibited in Florida’s Redletter 1 Gallery and San Francsico’s D-Structure. Nagel is also the man behind Two Twenty Two Design Studio, a web design firm that he founded in 2003.

Please join us for the opening reception of Marks: New Works by Aaron Nagel on Saturday, March 6^th, 2010, from 7-11pm. The exhibit will be on view through March 27^th, 2010, and is open to the public.