Jivan Lee: Dynamics of Change

JIVAN LEE

DYNAMICS OF CHANGE

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Jivan Lee

Dynamics of Change

Railyard Arts District | 1613 Paseo de Peralta | Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 | tel 505.988.3250 www.lewallengalleries.com | contact@lewallengalleries.com cover: County Line - Red Willow at Sunrise, 2020 oil on linen, 72 x 48 in

JIVAN LEE: Dynamics of Change Jivan Lee has a growing reputation as a leading figure of contemporary landscape painting, known for his lively sense of color and his textural application of paint. Lee’s art incites a visceral, emotional involvement with the landscape, which he achieves through a highly physical (and often unusually large-scale) en plein air painting process. Based in Taos, Jivan Lee’s newest work manifests the artist’s continuing interest in the landscape as an expressive subject that is ever changing.

Painted onsite from direct observation, Lee’s art is a visual testament to his close engagement with the land and all of its transformations. His paintings of the extraordinary (or sometimes quotidian) vistas of New Mexico and other locations also hint at an exploration of the raw material of paint, making manifest a feeling of awe at the experience of his surroundings.

Whether in conveying the shifting hues of backlit clouds, or of a river valley set ablaze in sunlight, Lee is able to communicate a tactile feeling of being present in a place. He does this in part by emphasizing the sheer physical nature of his work. Rather than blending his brushstrokes together, Lee allows his gestural marks to remain as sculptural as possible, highlighting them as newfound elements of his paintings’ compositions, and as unexpected, spontaneous sources of pattern or rhythm. The surface of a Jivan Lee painting thus becomes an energetic terrain all its own, brimming with fluid activity reminiscent at times of action painting.

This deconstruction of what Lee observes into bold shapes, colors, and textures prompts us to attend to the way we analyze and make sense of visual information. It is a transformation that aims for a deeper response than imitation, and leads us down a path that can activate our memory or imagination. In Lee’s art, the idea of “perspective” becomes just as much a personal matter as it might be a technical aspect of landscape painting. As interrelated, unfixed parts of a greater whole, what we observe and what we feel intersect in energetic visual dialogue.

Time is another crucial agent of change and transformation in Lee’s landscapes. By design, Lee’s plein air practice requires him to paint the land as it changes before him—the sunrise as it begins to illuminate the earth in the morning, or perhaps an afternoon storm as it gathers strength and then unloads or dissipates. These paintings also demonstrate an impressive attunement to the way that sunlight does more than merely illuminate his subjects, but also 2

determines their colorations, which may shift unexpectedly through different times of day and at different times of the year. Lee’s strong ability to convey a feeling or mood arises by studying the land so closely, finding its temperaments on a given day, and, if necessary, returning again faithfully at the appointed time in order to impart to his canvas what the sun at that hour might reveal.

Beyond these daily shifts of light, weather, or atmosphere, his paintings remind us of the way the land exists as an accumulation of these momentary shifts that take place over thousands of years: the way a river carves a valley, or perhaps the slow, majestic formation of mountains. As the hours, days, and even seasons change, Lee’s art also stresses the way that time and the various forces of nature and humanity relate and affect each other. The overall feeling of activity and motion within his work suggests that his canvases are but snapshots of a dynamic, ceaseless metamorphosis.

There is a sense of magical possibility in the way that his paintings communicate these individual and unpredictable moments of drama, peace, grandeur, or even surreality. Even though they might communicate, for example, a similar location or vantage point across multiple paintings, the actual visual information—conveyed though Lee’s extraordinary colors—becomes completely new at every moment we look. Each of Lee’s paintings lets us bear witness to this fact: that even though certain aspects of the land remain constant, the true nature of what he observes could never be one thing. Instead, it is many things at once and different things at every moment. The land’s persistent strength and resilience can be found in the way it is unfixed, evolving, and always becoming, and this is the manner in which it has endured— in spite of humanity’s encroaching impact.

Lee’s masterful paintings serve to preserve this feeling of quiet excitement and reverence he experiences from looking closely and feeling deeply. In capturing such brief moments within the many intermingling crescendos and decrescendos occurring within the landscape, Lee’s paintings in turn urges us to see the landscape in a new way. He asks us to see and take stock, but also to look again, because by looking closely, we might gradually uncover new meaning and form fresher relationships with all of our surroundings. This is an appreciation 3

and a recognition informed by sight, memory, and imagination, all only enriched as the land and we change and grow—that is, as long as we keep looking and paying attention. “I don’t go to a location because other artists have been there, or because it’s been painted 10 million times before,” he told Southwest Art in 2015. “I go because I love it; because the more [you go], the more the only voice you can find is your own, and everything else eventually is going to fade away.”

Of the works painted for this show, Lee writes, Dynamics of Change is about change and constancy as seen through the lens of landscape painting. Its heart is a call to our bodies and to the land; to being with felt sensation and awe; to partaking in an exchange with nature mediated by the miraculous medium of paint. The works that comprise this show were made out of a love for the land and for expressing this love through paintings. The starting point is that simple. The result is a show that pays homage to the grandeur and beauty of the landscape of my home, Taos, NM, and also investigates the implications of our seeing the landscape—how our perspective affects our experience and understanding of it; how we change in relation to landscape and to our conceptual framing of it; and how it is changed by our relationship with it.

--Lee’s brushwork—spontaneous and energetic, yet simplistic at the same time—also shapes his images. Working in an almost sculptural fashion, he thickly layers on copious oils with silicone spatulas, which pull large amounts of paint quickly across the canvas—a necessity when on location. The results are heavily impastoed tableaux comprising broad, chunky strokes; graceful curves; and imposing geometric forms. The visible lines and peaks, like gloriously hued buttercream, form a luscious consistency and rhythm that pulls the viewer closer.

Rebecca Rhoades, “A Respect for the Land” Phoenix Home and Garden, December 2016 4

At 30, Lee is a talented, emerging artist with a blossoming career and bright future ahead of him…. Lee loves the medium of paint—the thick, gooey, malleable, luscious nature of it. Working with oil paints brings him back to his childhood days when he adored creating snakes, elephants, and tigers with Play-Doh. He relishes the tactile nature of his preferred medium and the many ways he can arrange the paint in patterns that take on certain rhythms….

A signature Lee landscape features large abstract slabs of color when viewed at close range, which coalesce to form mountains, streams, churches, and people when viewed from a distance. The interplay of abstraction and realism is central to the heart of Lee’s work and artistic intent.

Bonnie Gangelhoff Southwest Art, February 2015

Paint interests me on a visceral level,” Jivan Lee explains, and so he pushes his sustainably sourced materials across the canvas not only with brushes, but also with spatulas, paper towels, and fingers. This produces lively textures, sometimes enhanced with reddish sandstone dust blown onto the canvas while Lee works from his pickup truck on the roadside.

Most of Jivan Lee’s paintings emerge from a struggle, during which he often must abandon his original plan and accept the conditions nature has granted.

"Three to Watch" Artist Profile Fine Art Connoisseur, Jan/Feb 2016

You can clearly see in Lee’s paintings that the visual is a pathway to something else. That intensely physical aspect of his work is taking you into that which is ineffable and cannot be explained.

Stephanie Grilli, Art Historian and Curator Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Center for Visual Art 5

Lost and Then Found, 2020, oil on linen, 60 x 54 inches

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Monument #18 - Pregnant Cloud and Misty Distance, 2017 oil on panel, 40 x 30 in

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County Line - Midday Winter, 2020, oil on panel, 48 x 36 inches

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Monument #22 - Patterns of Dissolution and Confluence, 2020, oil on panel, 72 x 48 inches

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The Last Day of January, 2020 11 oil on panel 60 x 80 in

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Around the Corner in the Early Morning, 2020, oil on panel, 30 x 30 in Around the Corner in the Afternoon, 2020, oil on panel, 30 x 30 in Around the Corner at Sunset, 2020, oil on panel, 30 x 30 in Around the Corner in the Full Moon Light, 2020, oil on panel, 30 x 30 in

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Around the Corner in the Dark of Night, 2020, oil on panel, 30 x 30 in

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First Blossoms, 2020, oil on panel, 48 x 48 in

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The New Field, 2020, oil on panel, 60 x 40 inches

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Separate/Together #1, 2020 oil on panel, 48 x 36 inches

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A lone coyote howls in the snow, 2020, oil on panel, 48 x 48 in

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Brush, bracken, trees, rain, snow, 2020, oil on panel, 48 x 48 inches

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The Old Apple Tree, 2017, oil on linen, 48 x 72 inches

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The Mountain Beyond the Fields, 2020, oil on linen, 60 x 80 inches

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All over Sky, 2020, oil on panel, 12 x 24 in

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Evening in Three Movements, 2017 oil on panel, 24 x 125 in

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Dialogue, 2019, oil on linen, 70 x 48 inches 26

Long Shadows, 2020, oil on panel, 72 x 48 inches

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Monument #16 - Dynamics of Change, 2019-20, oil on panel, 120 x 80 inches 28

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The Blessing Tree, 2018 oil on panel, 90 x 100 in

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Fields #1, 2020, oil on panel, 40 x 30 inches

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Fields #2, 2020, oil on panel, 40 x 30 inches

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Homeward #11 - Across the Valley & Into the Sky, 2020 oil on panel, 48 x 72 in 35

River Bends - March Morning, 2020, oil on panel, 40 x 30 inches

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The Long Haul, 2010 oil & acrylic on panel, 16" x 16"

Midnight, 2020, oil on panel, 40 x 30 inches

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Strong Upward Lift, 2018 oil on panel, 54 x 84 inches 39

Monument #21 - From the Other Direction, 2020 oil on panel, 40 x 30 in

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Monument #20 - Calming Light, 2020 oil on panel, 40 x 30 in

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Monument #23 - Totality, 2020 oil on panel, 48 x 78 inches

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Pedernal - Interlude, 2020 oil on panel, 12 x 12 in

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Pedernal - Light Mauve, 2020 oil on panel, 8 x 8 in Pedernal - Blue Notes, 2020 oil on panel, 12 x 12 in

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Pedernal - Deep Mauve, 2020 oil on panel, 8 x 8 in Pedernal - White, 2020 oil on panel, 8 x 8 in Pedernal - Grey, 2020 oil on panel, 8 x 8 in Pedernal - Muted Blue, 2020 oil on panel, 8 x 8 in

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Pedernal - Green Lake, 2020 oil on panel, 24 x 24 in

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Pedernal - Spring Palette, 2020 oil on panel, 24 x 24 in

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Separate/Together #2, 2020 oil on panel, 48 x 36 in

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Spring on the River, 2020 oil on panel, 24 x 36 inches

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Six Moments, 2018 oil panel, 6 x 40 in

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Spring on the River #2, 2020 oil on panel, 36 x 24 inches

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The Gorge in Four, 2019 oil on panel, 84 x 64 in

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Taos Gorge Inversion #1, 2019 oil on panel, 12 x 12 in Taos Gorge Inversion #2, 2019 oil on panel, 12 x 12 in Taos Gorge Inversion #3, 2019 oil on panel, 12 x 12 in Taos Gorge Inversion #4, 2019 oil on panel, 12 x 12 in

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Monument #19 - Cool Drizzle, 2020 oil on panel, 30 x 24 inches

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Monument #24 Near and Far 2020, oil on panel 72.5” x 36” diptych

Late Day, 2020, oil on panel, 16 x 12 inches

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Pedernal - Negative Space, 2020 oil on panel, 8 x 8 in

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Jivan Lee SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2017

Fine Art Connoisseur Award, Coors Western Art Exhibit

2019

Constant / Change, LewAllen Galleries, Santa Fe, NM

and Sale

2018

Leave it at the Door, LewAllen Galleries, Santa Fe, NM

2016

“Three to Watch” Artist, Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine

By the Wayside, Altamira Fine Art, Scottsdale, AZ

2015

Showcase, ArtSlant

2017

Our Land, Altamira Fine Art, Scottsdale, AZ

2014

Solo Exhibition Award, 2015 Solo Series, Harwood Art

A River Runs Through, LewAllen Galleries, Santa Fe, NM

Center, Albuquerque, NM

2016

New Mexico, LewAllen Galleries, Santa Fe,

Winner, 3rd, 4th, & 5th 2014 Showcases, ArtSlant

NM For the Wild, Heinley Fine Arts, Taos, NM

2013

Invited Panelist, SURFACE Exhibition, Harwood Art

Atmosphere, Altamira Fine Art, Jackson, WY

Center, Albuquerque, NM

2015

Hallowed Ground, Harwood Art Center, Albuquerque, NM

Best of Show, 15th Annual Masterworks of New Mexico

2014

Sky Above / Earth Below, Heinley Fine Arts, Taos, NM

Exhibition, Albuquerque, NM

2013

Paint this Land, Heinley Fine Arts, Taos, NM

Introducing Jivan Lee, William Havu Gallery, Denver, CO

PRESS

2011

Recent Paintings by Jivan Lee, Milagro Gallery, Taos, NM

"Monumental." American Art Collector. December 2019. 64-69.

“No Doors.” Western Art & Architecture. June/July 2018. 136 -141.

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

“A Home that Embraces the Grey.” Colorado Homes and Lifestyles

2018

Coors Western Art Exhibit and Sale, Denver, CO

Magazine. April 2018. 89.

2017

New Regionalisms: Contemporary Art in the Western

”Review: Enjoy the Scenery at William Havu's ‘Survey’.” Westword.

States, McNichols Building, Denver, CO

Coors Western Art Exhibit and Sale, Denver, CO

“State of the Art Market.” Southwest Art. October 2017. 74 - 79.

2016

Survey, William Havu Gallery, Denver, CO

“Jivan Lee: Our Land.” Western Art Collector. February 2017. 80-81.

Jivan Lee and James Pringle Cook, Heinley Fine Arts, Taos, NM

“A Respect for the Land.” Phoenix Home and Garden Magazine.

Coors Western Art Exhibit and Sale, Denver, CO

2015

OutWest Art Show, Great Falls, MT

“Artists Making Their Mark: Jivan Lee.” Fine Art Connoisseur.

Great American Landscape, Flinn Gallery, Greenwich, CT

Rhythms in Nature, Altamira Fine Art, Scottsdale, AZ

“Rhythms in Nature.” American Art Collector. December 2015.

2014

Deep Forest/High Desert, Heinley Fine Arts, Taos, NM

Wandering the West, Altamira Fine Art, Jackson, WY

“Serenading the Land.” Southwest Art. Feb 2015. 72 -75 & Cover.

Earth, Water, & Sky, William Havu Gallery, Denver, CO

“Five-Foot Paintings of Thunderstorms, Done With a Spatula.” Plein

Desert Mythos, Altamira Fine Art, Scottsdale, AZ

2013

Jivan Lee and Peter Campell, Meyer East Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

“Three Taos Artists under 35.” Taos News 2014 Gallery Guide.

Under the Hill, Blumenschein Museum, Taos, NM

2012

Metro-State University of Denver, Center for Visual Art,

“Paint this Land: An Exhibit by Jivan Lee.” Taos News. November 7,

Taos Contemporary, Denver, CO

2013. “Jivan Lee in Taos.” Southwest Art. October 2013. 62.

2011

The NOW WOW Project, Hudson Gallery, Sylvania, OH

“Off the Walls: Taos, New Mexico.” Fine Art Connoisseur.

2010

Portraits of the Sacred, Stables Gallery, Taos, NM

Solutions, Trillion Space, Albuquerque, NM

“Commission This!” Art Business News. Winter 2012. 34 - 37.

2008

Michael Paglia. October 25, 2017.

December 2016. 114 - 119.

January/February 2016. 47.

128 -129.

Air Today (online). July 30, 2014.

2014. 64 - 67.

Sept/Oct 2013. 108.

“Artist Profile: Jivan Lee.” Plein Air Magazine (online). June 22, SELECTED AWARDS & HONORS 2018

Fine Art Connoisseur Award, Coors Western Art Exhibit

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2011.

“Painting on the Edge.” Plein Air Magazine. Winter 2011. 83.

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Railyard Arts District | 1613 Paseo de Peralta | Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 | tel 505.988.3250 www.lewallengalleries.com | contact@lewallengalleries.com 64 Š 2020 LewAllen Contemporary, LLC Artwork Š Jivan Lee