AXOM Gallery Press Release
August 30 – September 29, 2012
AXOM Gallery is pleased to open the 2012 -2013 Gallery Season with an exhibition of paintings and prints by internationally acclaimed artist, author and educator, Keith Howard.
In this body of work, Keith Howard juxtaposes contemporary artistic ideas with the ageless archetype of the biblical Eve. His large paintings are both powerful and provocative as they challenge us to reflect on our relationship with our human nature and our relationship with the environment.
Keith, who serves as Head of Contemporary Printmaking at Rochester Institute of Technology, has exhibited his prints around the world. His new body of work, the “Eve” paintings will be exhibited for the first time in Rochester, NY at AXOM Gallery.
The selection of Keith Howard for our opening show was chosen to support the mission of the Greentopia Festival, which is a week-long celebration that promotes innovative ideas and products for sustainable living. Keith’s development of nontoxic printmaking techniques has shaped the way many art and printmaking professionals think about issues of sustainability, health and safety in the arts. His program at R.I. T. is considered the most advanced academic nontoxic printmaking program in the USA.
In keeping with his penchant for innovation, Keith’s recent exploration into the creation of paintings introduces us to a new genre of artistic expression. These paintings initiate in the tradition of printmaking and evolve into a 21st century prototype for a global artisan collaborative that is made possible through the advancements of digital photography and internet communications. Keith challenges the viewer to reexamine romantic ideals of the biblical Eve as we experience a modern day Eve in a variety of panoramic landscapes. He also challenges our concept of authorship, where ‘Master Printers’ would traditionally create original prints for painters, by reversing the order. Now the ‘Master Painter’; Mr. Xiang Ming Lin from China is one of the collaborators taking Keith’s original images and creating the original painting.
*In celebration of the mission of Rochester’s Greentopia Festival, AXOM Gallery will donate a portion of its proceeds from the sale of Keith’s paintings and prints to the Genesee Land Trust to support their efforts to ‘preserve and protect the land within the Greater Rochester Area, including waterways, wetland, farmland, open space, fish and wildlife habitat, and scenic or recreational areas.