Lanning Gallery Shows "Gregory Deane: Contemporary Energy" in Sedona, AZ

Written by Clive Spooner Sunday, 01 May 2011 22:07

Sedona, AZ.- Lanning Gallery is pleased to announce a return visit by artist Gregory Deane. The exhibition “Gregory Deane: Contemporary Energy” runs through May 15th opening with an artist’s reception during Sedona’s “1st Friday Gallery Tour” May 6th from 5-8 pm. Deane’s genius is evident in every canvas: these are not simple paintings easily defined, though each can be appreciated simply as a burst of immediate emotional impact or, conversely, as a work to be intellectually investigated. “I want clients to take the works personally,” Deane says. To him, it is the viewer’s response that completes the artistic act of creation.

Artistic expression was always an element in Deane’s life: He excelled at art from an early age; portraits and character studies coming first and design school following along with a career in design. Roughly forty years ago, Deane turned exclusively to creating fine art and it is his evolution that continues to define him. Known for his broad strokes or washes of color, Deane seems to paint moods, often complex, onto canvas. “Color to me is very important, bold or subtle,” he points out. “The use of color can produce a painting that is bright … and shows spontaneity, or it can settle down and be thought provoking.” Broad strokes of color, he notes, match that freedom you get with creativity; the very nature of exhilaration.

Deane can have as many as seven paintings in mid-creation at any one time, painting with canvases laid flat to puddle the paint before standing each upright to add final detailing. When one becomes familiar with Deane’s mixed media paintings, with the layers of nearly hidden color, the surprising textures and inlay of printed texts or other mysterious objects, one knows to look for the hidden parts. “I like the subtle images that are not readily seen,” Deane notes. This is a point of view easily shared: Deane’s collectors range across continents and mirror in breadth the expansive reach of Deane’s own skills and imagination.

In October of 2004, the painting “Assuredness #1712” by Gregory Deane, was placed in the permanent collection of the estimable Ufizzi Gallery in Florence, Italy. This great honor was bestowed on Deane following his highly regarded show, in September 2002, at the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno. Deane was the first American artist to have a solo show at the Accademia, founded in 1584 by Michelangelo. From an early age Deane excelled at art, fascinated, even as a child, with color arrangements and textures; portraits and character studies soon followed. Having moved from Oregon to California as a teenager, Deane found his way to design school in San Francisco and began his working life in the design field. But all the while he painted. It was in the mid-70s that he decided to devote his full attention to fine art and in 1977 held his first solo abstract art show in Honolulu, HI. Deane has gone on to have many showings of his critically acclaimed expressionist artwork. His paintings are regularly featured in major art galleries from Florida to Hawaii, and now appear in private art collections throughout the world.

Deane’s paintings range from large to small; some works sixteen feet wide by ten feet high, some three by five inches in size. The result can be a feeling of overwhelm, or a silent moment of intimacy. Whatever the size, color is carefully controlled, whether vibrant or monochromatic. Inspired by travels to China, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand and Italy, Deane's expressionist paintings have more recently taken a turn toward mixed media. "By including a photograph or words from a newspaper, bits of tissue paper or whatever might be at hand,” he says, "I can evoke a grounded feeling of place, whether it's an African jungle or a Chinese market. Life has its many changes, as do the hands of the painter,” Deane notes. “Some artists choose to paint the dark side of their existence, and that is their choice if that is all they wish to see. I've chosen to try to paint many moods and to evoke a feeling with my work - of joy, quiet reflection, excitement, sobriety … If you look at art every day, why not look at something that gives you delight or a feeling of exultation?" Within the complexity of Deane’s artistic vision, however, one may easily find elements of contrast, of juxtaposition, something that gives tension to the painting's fundamental joy.


Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, Lanning Gallery has established itself as Sedona, Arizona's major classic and contemporary fine art gallery. The gallery's unique casual sophistication features the finest works of art in original oil, acrylic, watercolor, contemporary sculpture, art glass, ceramics, handmade hand-painted furniture, and exquisite jewelry. An impressive roster of gifted artists includes those with world-renowned reputations as well as cutting edge emerging artists. Sedona's Lanning Gallery is committed to excellence in its art and in providing you with personal, professional service. Located in the heart of Sedona, Arizona’s Gallery District, Lanning Gallery offers visitors a celebration of the arts inspired by the unmatched beauty of Sedona itself. Come. Peruse. Admire. And acquire. Adding beauty to both your heart and your home. Visit the gallery's website at ... www.lanninggallery.com

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