
Ashland
1994
Wesley Kimler's "Ashland" from 1994 immediately captivates with its monumental scale and raw, unbridled energy. Executed in oil on canvas, the painting is a commanding exploration of color, texture, and spontaneous gesture. Thick impasto builds a tactile surface, where vibrant hues of cerulean blue, emerald green, fiery red, and earthy yellow collide and coalesce against a backdrop of stark white and deep black. Dynamic, sweeping lines, some angular and structural, others fluid and organic, crisscross the composition, creating a sense of restless movement and profound depth. The artist's confident brushwork is evident in every stroke, revealing a process of layered creation and expressive force, challenging the viewer to navigate its intricate visual landscape. "Ashland" transcends mere abstraction, inviting contemplation on the interplay between chaos and order. Kimler masterfully orchestrates a visual symphony where bold geometric forms, such as the prominent pink framework in the upper left, anchor the more painterly passages of drips and scribbles. This tension between deliberate construction and intuitive mark-making imbues the work with a compelling narrative, evoking the complex visual stimuli of urban environments or the multifaceted nature of human experience. The painting stands as a powerful testament to Kimler's distinctive voice within contemporary abstraction, a work that resonates with both intellectual rigor and visceral emotion. Its presence offers collectors an opportunity to acquire a significant piece by an artist celebrated for his uncompromising vision and powerful painterly expression.
- Medium
- Oil on canvas in artist's frame
- Location
- Wright, Chicago, United States
🔨 Auction Lot
Wright: 20|21 Art: The Chicago Edition (July 2022)
July 14, 2022
Estimate: $3,000 to $5,000
Lot 178
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