Looking Forward / Looking Back

William Campbell Contemporary Art is pleased to announce Looking Forward / Looking Back, an exhibition which refers to the distinct pleasure of revisiting work that has retained its edge along with new works. Think of the ageless jazz of a Mondrian or the eternal freshness of a Monet, and realize that these current pieces by contemporary artists foretell their own longevity. The show will hang from January 19 - February 28.

This Janus-style New Year's exhibition features the best paintings [, fine photography,] and sculpture selected from previous shows during the past year. More than just an exhibit between scheduled one-person shows, Looking Forward / Looking Back will furnish a yearly marker signifying where gallery artists are going and what their most relevant work means in the continuum of their careers. Visitors will be able to view the best work by their favorite artists in the context of a group exhibition, pointing up individual strengths. A Scottie Parsons blue field, for instance, glows even more luminously. Richard Thompson's treatise on the forces of nature, expressed in metaphorical fly-fishing terms, gains tremendous impact from its strong imagery and its important scale. Stephen Daly's collage drawings evoke both the Oriental fine-paper tradition and the razor-sharp consciousness of the culture of cool. Bernd Haussmann's stately totem buzzes with his signature energy and spontaneity. Billy Hassell's manic chaparral reigns unchallenged by other intense birds; a cool, minimal Otis Jones work on paper provides conceptual structure to the exhibition space and beyond. A collage-based painting by Cecil Touchon transcends time and geography to address the artist's involvement in worldwide intellectual trends that are measured in centuries rather than months. Joachim Kersten's horizontal meditation reveals unexpected nuances with every step the viewer takes toward it or past it.

In addition to looking back at recent works, the show looks forward with exciting new pieces by gallery artists. Different works will make their way into and out of the exhibit during its run, with surprises on a weekly basis. Taken altogether, Looking Forward / Looking Back measures the depth of the gallery's focus as well as the breadth of its artistic vision.

The gallery's website, www.williamcampbellcontemporaryart.com, contains other artists whose work is featured in this exhibit. For further information, please contact William or Pam Campbell at (817) 737-9566 or wcca@flash.net.