James Fuentes is pleased to announce its forthcoming solo exhibition by Jonathan Allmaier. Jonathan Allmair creates painting that question the distinction between object and medium. The artist follows the physical studio materials until they become a kind of idea, beginning by making his own paint from crushed pigment. Integral qualities such as scale, stretcher construction, canvas preparation, and paint application are not only the variables here: they are a definitive set of characteristics that allow a painting to make itse... Read more

James Fuentes is pleased to announce its forthcoming solo exhibition by Jonathan Allmaier.

Jonathan Allmair creates painting that question the distinction between object and medium. The artist follows the physical studio materials until they become a kind of idea, beginning by making his own paint from crushed pigment. Integral qualities such as scale, stretcher construction, canvas preparation, and paint application are not only the variables here: they are a definitive set of characteristics that allow a painting to make itself, re-casting the artist as assistant to the work, and placing it in an animist sphere. The paintings, as a result of this effort, exhibit unusual and elusive qualities.

As the artist states, the paintings determine their own descriptions. A “pointing painting” occurs when the painting’s primary concern is pointing at the stretcher and canvas. Since pointing is not descriptive, the pointing is not done with a brush, but it could be done with anything else: a stick, a throw, a jump, a hammer, a bottle, a launch, a piece of plastic, etc. A “bump painting” occurs when the painting’s concern is drawing on the stretcher and canvas. This is descriptive, but there is no outside object of description: the drawing is not done with a brush, but it could be done with anything else. A “key painting” occurs when there is an outside object of description (in some cases, another painting) calling for the use of the brush.

Jonathan Allmaier studied philosophy and visual art at Brown University and went on to complete his MFA at the Tyler School of Art in 2007. This will be the artist’s first solo exhibition.

For further information please contact James or Adrianne at info@jamesfuentes.com