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An exhibition of works by renowned Texas artist Otis Jones will be on display February 14-March 21 at William Campbell Contemporary Art. An opening reception will be held Saturday, February 14, 6:00-8:00 p.m. The exhibition will include a dozen new works displaying Jones's process-focused abstraction, which employs subtle textures and muted colors to create an atmosphere of depth and introspection.

A highly accomplished and innovative painter, Otis Jones combines multiple materials-both fine art and industrial-to produce nonrepresentational, meditative colorscapes. Intricate fields of color comprise layer upon layer of mixed media that have been built up, sanded down, painted, marked, or otherwise manipulated. By continually adding and removing surface elements, the artist exposes the compositional strata, and thus a visual history of the work's evolution. The result is an invitingly tactile matrix of color, texture, and line that becomes its own inclusive object. This dynamic process invites viewers to share in the artist's process and participate in the work's physicality.

Irregular edges and evident gestures make Jones's work highly expressive, even as purposeful marks and calculated layering add elements of precision to the compositions. They are loose yet controlled, emotional yet intellectual. Four White Lines with Ochre,a large-scale diptych on paper, features two parallel color fields-highly contrasted, but softened by their texture and delicate color gradations. At nearly seven feet across, this contemplative, vast piece envelops the surrounding space. Freeform brushwork produces fluid movement throughout, while a smattering of short vertical and horizontal marks defines the surface and emphasizes the overall structure of the piece.

Discernible brush strokes, coupled with Jones's quasi gridlines, create visual rhythm as they form a refined pattern in Red Oxide. This mixture produces a balanced but undulating composition that completely encompasses the nearly square, three-foot monochromatic field. Lines meld together with layers of pigment and medium to create cohesion among the elements, deeply rooting the surface area into the support. And it is this cohesion that the artist strives for in his work, as he endeavors to create two-dimensional art with an impenetrable bond between parts and whole.

Reluctant to influence viewers' interpretations, Jones prefers to let people glean what they will from his work. Because they do not reference a recognizable place, era, or culture, the abstract paintings become anonymous and universal, in effect tabulae rasae. But undisputed is the visceral energy created by the artist's technique, which encourages visual awareness and inspires curiosity.

ABOUT THE GALLERY

Founded in 1974 by William and Pam Campbell, William Campbell Contemporary Art exhibits high-quality contemporary art in a variety of media, including paintings, works on paper, mixed-media constructions, photography, prints, ceramics, and sculpture. By exhibiting nationally recognized artists, along with new and emerging talent, the gallery aims to nurture an awareness and appreciation of the exciting diversity found in contemporary art.