Dayton artist has solo show in prestigious NY gallery
Jeremy Long of Dayton has participated in group art exhibitions in the Big Apple before, but none were solo shows. He’s happy to report that this is no longer the case.
The Bowery Gallery, at 530 W. 25th St. in New York City, is presenting 19 paintings and drawings of his through Dec. 30. The Opening Reception for “Jeremy Long: Paintings & Drawings,” was Nov. 30.
“It’s very exciting. I have been following the Bowery Gallery for more than 20 years,” Long said.
“My professors have shown there, and as a student I attended their openings. I’ve held the gallery in high regard because of the caliber of painters that show there.”
Long’s large figure drawings are intermingled with small to medium studies in the spacious gallery. For example, his favorite work, “Family Group with Still Life,” is a large-scale, 72-by-96-inch oil on canvas. In the exhibit, he’s presenting his first working drawing for that piece as a 22-by-30-inch pen and ink on paper. Another work of the same subject was done with a focus on geometric forms as a 44-by-60 oil on canvas.
The final large-scale painting puts more of an emphasis on activity around the dining room table. The scene, which is somehow chaotic and serene at the same time, shows a little girl standing on the table examining the chandelier while a boy plays a trumpet. The parents and more children are in the composition. The still life set up on one end of that table is secondary to the family dynamics.
What is wonderful about this painting is not only the suggestion of movement, but also the way in which he uses color to convey various textures.
“I attempt to expand a figure or object from within so that it can have a profound effect throughout the space of the picture,” said Long, an associate professor of art and art history at Wright State University.
He indicated that his inspiration “ranges from everyday domestic situations to important art historical models like Jan Steen and Poussin.” He likens his first drawing of a subject to “a small dress rehearsal for a play.” The height of the performance would be the final large-scale oil painting.
Long was born and raised in Chicago, and earned a master of fine arts degree from American University in Washington, D.C. Before joining the teaching staff at WSU in 2012, he worked in Rome, and also taught art in Illinois and New York.
Long is married to Colleen Kelsey, an artist and gallery director for the Dayton Society of Artists. Long’s future plans are to prepare for another solo show at the Bowery Gallery over the next three years.