Capturing the moments

 
    Los Angeles artist Dan McCleary visited GCSU last week as part of his exhibit “The Artist’s Process:  Paintings, Prints and Drawings.”  He gave a lecture on Feb. 20 and answered questions about his work at the gallery opening the next day. 
    McCleary has shown his art in many cities, such as New York, Los Angeles and Houston, Texas.
    “Carlos (Herrera) asked if I would do a show, and I had never been to the South,” McCleary said.  “I knew it would be an interesting experience.”
    His process is mapped through his studies, paintings and prints that all contribute to his final pieces.  All these steps are part of the exhibit.  For example, the work “Alex Jimenez” is shown in three different forms, as an etching, rough around the edges, a framed pencil drawing and finally as an oil painting.  The drawing and painting were donated to the GCSU permanent collections.
    McCleary’s art is inspired by ordinary people.  He captures moments in the lives of people in the service industry such as chefs, waiters and convenience store employees.  
    “I love everyday life; it’s my biggest influence,” McCleary said.
    The artwork captures a moment in time.  McCleary enjoys making his works open-ended. The subjects bear intense stares and solemn expressions, leaving the work open for interpretation.  The viewer can create his own back story, wondering where the person came from, what they are thinking and what they are like. 
    Art professor Ernesto Gomez can identify with some of the themes in McCleary’s art.  He especially connected with “Seven-Eleven,” an aptly named painting of a Seven-Eleven employee, because of his own stint working at a convenience store.
    “When you’re behind the counter, you’re very vulnerable,” Gomez said.  “I like how he treats the figure.” 
    To depict these scenes, McCleary builds sets in his studio.  Some of his props are made of cardboard and Styrofoam to form makeshift cash registers and other supplies.  He also goes to restaurant supply stores for props. 
    For some scenes, he takes pictures and uses those to build his sets. The backgrounds are often an amalgamation of photos he has taken. The cityscapes are fictitious.
    “I didn’t really have any formal training,” McCleary said. 
    This lack of training led him to discover his artistic influences. He especially enjoys the works of Jan Vermeer, Edward Hopper and Edouard Manet.  McCleary consults art books while he creates his art, letting his predecessors guide his new takes on their art.
Film has also played a role in his work.  McCleary was a filmmaker before changing tracks into art.
    The Manet connection was made particularly clear in the exhibit, showing the Manet paintings that inspired McCleary’s art in the summaries.
    The exhibit was a senior capstone project for museum studies major Jamie Waugh.  Her process began last semester; she coordinated the exhibit, doing research on the artists that influenced McCleary and deciding on the layout of the gallery, all of her work culminating in the opening of the show. 
    

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Feb 29 2008. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry