PAT GABRIEL: IN PLAIN SIGHT March 6-28, 2015
WILLIAM REAVES FINE ART
TEXAS ART
EARLY
MODERN
CONTEMPORARY
PAT GABRIEL: IN PLAIN SIGHT March 6-28, 2015
Occasionally an artist comes along with the rare ability to make time and space stand perfectly still, transposing in paint oft unnoticed views of objects in plain sight to us all, so as to startle us with the inherent virtue and understated elegance of the everyday. Such an artist is Pat Gabriel, who sees the sublimity of those things in plain sight and paints them with astonishing acuity. Whether tending his Fort Worth garden, driving to his downtown office or traversing Far West Texas, Pat Gabriel maintains a watchful eye on scenes all about him. He searches the skies, checks the horizon, examines the structures and notes the intersections of objects in his view, constantly in search of a mood, a moment or a message which he will record in one of his splendid paintings. His selections are translated in superb compositions, conveying the moment and subject with exquisite precision within a nuanced interplay of light, color and atmosphere. The results are evocative paintings of remarkable facility, channeling the artist’s contemplative sense of narrative and accentuating the everyday glories of our existence. In Plain Sight is Gabriel’s first one-man exhibition, and in it, his superb draftsmanship, meticulous brushwork and sensitive eye are debuted in an extraordinary selection of Texas paintings. Special Events Opening Reception: Saturday, March 7th, 6-8:30pm Meet the Artist: Saturday, March 21st, 2-4pm
EXHIBITION CHECKLIST Last First Title Date Medium Dimensions 1 Gabriel Pat A Useful Place 2014 oil on canvas 14x33.25 2 Gabriel Pat Brilliant Plumes (Texans’ Twilight) 2013 oil on canvas 16.5x21.25 3 Gabriel Pat Cactus Heaven 2015 oil on canvas 8.5x18 4 Gabriel Pat Cinnabar threads I (Terlingua) 2014 oil on archival panel 7.5x15 5 Gabriel Pat Cinnabar threads II (Terlingua) 2014 oil on archival panel 7.5x10.5 6 Gabriel Pat Cinnabar threads III (Terlingua) 2014 oil on archival panel 7.5x12.5 7 Gabriel Pat City Vista II 2012 oil on canvas 11.75x29.75 8 Gabriel Pat Coexistence of Grace 2012 oil on canvas 48x42 9 Gabriel Pat Color in Storm Puddles (Texans’ Twilight) 2010 oil on canvas 16.5x21.25 10 Gabriel Pat Colored Haze (Texan’s twilight) 2013 oil on canvas 21.25x16.5 11 Gabriel Pat Downpour 2012 oil on canvas 27.5x50 12 Gabriel Pat Fixer-upper 2013 oil on canvas 8.5x18 13 Gabriel Pat General Merchandise 2014 oil on canvas 35x72 14 Gabriel Pat Late Light (Texans’ Twilight) 2013 oil on canvas 16.5x21.25 15 Gabriel Pat Looking Across the Line 2012 oil on canvas 27.5x70 16 Gabriel Pat Old Mexican School 2013 oil on canvas 8.5x18 17 Gabriel Pat Study for Purple Mountain 2006 oil on canvas board 12x24 18 Gabriel Pat Reflected Light with Towers (Texans’ Twilight)2006 oil on canvas 16.5x21.25 19 Gabriel Pat Rocky Path 2015 oil on canvas 8.5x18 20 Gabriel Pat Succession 2010 oil on canvas 28x36 21 Gabriel Pat View into Infinity 2015 oil on canvas 30x72 22 Gabriel Pat Warehouse 2014 oil on canvas 20x26.5
PAT GABRIEL (b. 1960) Pat Gabriel began drawing and sculpting as a child but became much more serious about producing art during his teenage years. At age fourteen, he met Yan Macs, a Latvian-born painter, and re-established his inspirational compass. Afterwards, he began working with acrylic paints and producing highly detailed paintings. After he graduated, Gabriel immediately began working as a commercial artist and started moving his way up in the advertising field. Although the commitments of his daily life limit his time, the direction and quality of Gabriel’s work matured over time and he later began working with oils and studying mainly European artists. Gabriel is greatly inspired by clouds and what they do to light; he often paints the transformation of light and color frequently seen in the Texas landscape. In addition, he draws inspiration from plant life and keeps an elaborate garden. Working slowly, Gabriel spends quite a bit of time considering what to paint and says that many of his paintings are symbolic or perhaps allegorical. Highlighting the collision of nature and man-made elements, he creates figurative painting through landscape imagery. In most cases, Gabriel begins with small idea sketches, working on many ideas at once. He photographs subjects of interest and then edits the images to create a final painting reference. His greatest aspiration is to make the viewer experience the same feelings he had while he was painting. Bringing the awe he experienced when he noticed the shifts of light in the morning sky to his pieces, Gabriel conveys ideas that are personal to him but are universal to his audiences. Selected Biographical and Career Highlights • 1960 Born in Chicago, Illinois • 1966 Moved to Fort Worth, Texas • 1990–present, Executive Director of Creative Services at GCG Marketing, Fort Worth • 2009 The Gail and Bill Landreth Award in memory of Gene Owens, Preservation is the Art of the City®, Fort
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Worth Community Arts Center, Fort Worth 2011 Lucy Brants and Harry Brants Award in memory of Cynthia Brants, Preservation is the Art of the City®, Fort Worth Community Arts Center, Fort Worth 2011 Hunting Art Prize Poster, Painting Fragile Spring selected for poster image Advisory Panel Member, Fort Worth Community Arts Center Resides in Fort Worth, Texas
Selected Exhibitions • 2007 The 9x12 Works on Paper Show, Fort Worth Community Arts Center, Fort Worth • 2008 Fort Worth Community Arts Center 2008 Biennial, Fort Worth • 2008 Advisory Panel Selects, Fort Worth Community Arts Center, Fort Worth • 2009 Texas Artists Coalition Juried Membership Show, Fort Worth Community Arts Center, Fort Worth • 2009–11 Preservation is the Art of the City®, Fort Worth Community Arts Center, Fort Worth • 2010–11 Hunting Art Prize Exhibition, Houston • 2011 Contemporaries: A Survey of 21st Century American Artists, Central Library, Fort Worth • 2012 Restless Heart: Contemporary Texas Regionalism, San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, San Angelo • 2013 Holidays at the Haley, Haley Memorial Library, Midland • 2014 Hunting Art Prize Exhibition, Houston • 2014 Painting in the Texas Tradition: Contemporary Texas Regionalism, Turner House, Dallas • 2015 Painting in the Texas Tradition: Contemporary Texas Regionalism, Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts, Spring • 2015 Ties that Bind: Contemporary Texas Regionalism, Turner House, Dallas Selected Public Collections • GCG Marketing, Fort Worth
PAT GABRIEL: IN PLAIN SIGHT
1. Pat Gabriel, A Useful Place, 2014, oil on canvas, 14x33.25 inches.
2. Pat Gabriel, Brilliant Plumes (Texans' Twilight), 2013, oil on canvas, 16.5x21.25 inches.
3. Pat Gabriel, Cactus Heaven, 2015, oil on canvas, 8.5x18 inches.
4. Pat Gabriel, Cinnabar threads I (Terlingua), 2014, oil on archival panel, 7.5x15 inches.
5. Pat Gabriel, Cinnabar threads II (Terlingua), 2014, oil on archival panel, 7.5x10.5 inches.
6. Pat Gabriel, Cinnabar threads III (Terlingua), 2014, oil on archival panel, 7.5x12.5 inches.
7. Pat Gabriel, City Vista II, 2012, oil on canvas, 11.75x29.75 inches.
8. Pat Gabriel, Coexistence of Grace, 2012, oil on canvas, 48x42 inches.
9. Pat Gabriel, Color in Storm Puddles (Texans' Twilight), 2010, oil on canvas, 16.5x21.25 inches.
10. Pat Gabriel, Colored Haze (Texan's twilight), 2013, oil on canvas, 21.25x16.5 inches.
11. Pat Gabriel, Downpour, 2012, oil on canvas, 27.5x50 inches.
12. Pat Gabriel, Fixer-upper, 2013, oil on canvas, 8.5x18 inches.
13. Pat Gabriel, General Merchandise, 2014, oil on canvas, 35x72 inches.
14. Pat Gabriel, Late Light (Texans' Twilight), 2013, oil on canvas, 16.5x21.25 inches.
15. Pat Gabriel, Looking Across the Line, 2012, oil on canvas, 27.5x70 inches.
16. Pat Gabriel , Old Mexican School, 2013, oil on canvas, 8.5x18 inches.
17. Pat Gabriel, Study for Purple Mountain, 2006, oil on canvas board, 12x24 inches.
18. Pat Gabriel , Reflected Light with Towers (Texans' Twilight), 2006, oil on canvas, 16.5x21.25 inches.
19. Pat Gabriel, Rocky Path, 2015, oil on canvas, 8.5x18 inches.
20. Pat Gabriel , Succession, 2010, oil on canvas, 28x36 inches.
21. Pat Gabriel, View into Infinity, 2015, oil on canvas, 30x72 inches.
22. Pat Gabriel, Warehouse, 2014, oil on canvas, 20x26.5 inches.
HOUSTON’S GALLERY FOR HISTORIC TEXAS ART William Reaves Fine Art, established in 2006 in Houston, Texas, is dedicated to the promotion of premier Texas artists of the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, focusing particularly on historically significant artists active in the state between 1900 and 1975. Now in its ninth year, the gallery showcases many of the state’s most accomplished and recognized talents, all of whom have significant connection to Texas and have evidenced the highest standards of quality in their work, training, and professionalism in the field. Through its dynamic, mission-centered exhibition program centered around the three pillars of the state’s art history—Early, Modern, and Contemporary Texas Art—William Reaves Fine Art attempts to convey the chronological progression and on-going evolutions within the visual arts of the state. The gallery continuously exhibits stunning examples by artists of these disparate stylistic groupings in order to fully depict the wide-ranging styles, subjects, and media that encompass Texas Art. HISTORIC EARLY TEXAS ART William Reaves Fine Art consistently offers a stunning selection of historic Early Texas Art by prominent artists active in the state prior to 1945. These genres include Texas Impressionism, Texas Regionalism, Early Modernism, and others. TEXAS MODERN ART William Reaves Fine Art is the foremost provider of post-war Texas Modern, including mid-century masters of the state and pioneering expressionists working in Texas. While remaining true to regional subject and theme, these artists actively embraced interesting new modes of abstraction, ranging from forms of cubism to expressionism. The gallery places emphasis on the rediscovery and presentation of early and mid-century works by Houston and South Texas artists, especially the Houston Founders group of prominent artists working in Houston from 1945 to 75. CONTEMPORARY TEXAS REGIONALISTS Consistent with the gallery’s historical focus, William Reaves Fine Art represents a dynamic group of contemporary artists, known as the Contemporary Texas Regionalists, who paint a style or subject matter directly inspired by earlier Texas masters. Hailing from parts all across Texas, their works reflect the state’s geographic diversity. While all captures some particular combination of beauty, richness, and determined independence that is uniquely Texan, their subjects range from historical Texas events to panoramic landscapes and from photorealistic urban scenes to native Texas wildlife. The gallery actively shows their works in annual gallery exhibitions as well as traveling exhibitions throughout the state. PROMOTING TEXAS ART In addition to exhibiting historic Texas art and assisting collectors and institutions in building Texas Art collections, the gallery has been instrumental in the formation and support of non-profit entities promoting Texas art and art history, such as the Center for the Advancement and Study of Early Texas Art (CASETA). The gallery also works regularly with regional museums to jointly sponsor and organize exhibitions and symposia including the following: Tyler Museum of Art, Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, Art Museum of South Texas, Nave Museum, Haley Memorial Library, Houston Public Library, Heritage Society of Houston, and University of Houston, Downtown. In order to promote interest and broaden knowledge of earlier Texas art, the gallery supports gallery talks, community events, scholarly research, and publications related to its subjects, artists, and periods. Recently, The Houston Press named William Reaves Fine Art Houston’s Best Art Gallery for 2013.
William Reaves Fine Art 2143 Westheimer Road Houston, Texas 77098 713.521.7500 www.reavesart.com