Proof of Life: Tanner Goldbeck

12 February - 26 March 2022
  • In the works in this exhibition, Goldbeck tears down and repurposes his own existing art by dismantling images and abstracting...

    In the works in this exhibition, Goldbeck tears down and repurposes his own existing art by dismantling images and abstracting them into new organic constructions. Rendered with sweeping painterly gestures and intricately delineated linear forms, there is a discernible element of play and artistic freedom in the abstraction of these compositions. 

     

    The artist’s interest in line art is the fundamental structure which connects the works in this show, with each piece reflecting a playful tension between control and chaos, uniformity and disorder. For Goldbeck, the linear elements define space and inherently contain volume while color and textures fight to break down boundaries and add an intensity of emotion. Multiple layers of colors add and subtract positive and negative shapes in an exchange of speed, cadence, and volume equivalent to the atmosphere as it evolves. 

     

     

     

     

     

  • The imposing scale of the paintings within the physical confines of the gallery space increases the inescapable sense of motion...

    The imposing scale of the paintings within the physical confines of the gallery space increases the inescapable sense of motion and tension echoed by the frenetic movement of these compositions. From a distance, the work can easily be seen as one identifiable whole, but as the viewer draws closer to the canvas the visual experience becomes progressively fragmented and disorienting. 

     

    The magnitude and intensity of the paintings in this exhibition lend themselves to an immersive, installation oriented experience in which the viewer is forced to roam the works, selecting the bits and pieces they want to hear. As Goldbeck sees it, the paintings work best at drawing people into the chaos of the moment, a subtle invitation for the viewer to explore. 

  • Goldbeck's work is an evolving struggle between control and spontaneity, reflecting his sense of identity and his relationship with the...

    Goldbeck's work is an evolving struggle between control and spontaneity, reflecting his sense of identity and his relationship with the environment. Much like the organized chaos of downtown Los Angeles, there is a palpable rhythm and intenstiy to these works that forces the viewer to actively engage and participate in the drama unfolding across the canvas. 

     

    The titles of the works in this exhibition often reference street names from both the artist’s hometown in Maryland and his new home in downtown Los Angeles, blending home and memory in a subtle combination. The movement and energy naturally associated with roads and streets are mirrored in these works as the artist encapsulates kinetic energy and frantic motion through his gestural marks, layers of color, and expansive forms.

  • In Proof of Life, Goldbeck synthesizes the impermanence and ephemerality naturally associated with street art with the continuity of fine...

    In Proof of Life, Goldbeck synthesizes the impermanence and ephemerality naturally associated with street art with the continuity of fine art to create compositions which are at once charged with a sensation of modulation and embedded with an evident stability. By combining the fast, bold, and spirited painterly approach of street art with the slower, more attentive technique of studio painting, the artist exists in the shifting middle of two contradictory aesthetic worlds.