George Klauba hosted at Ann Nathan Gallery

Tuesday, 13 February 2007 22:41

Chicago, IL - There she blows! at Ann Nathan Gallery.  With extraordinary vision, George Klauba returns to the sea in Moby Dick: Avis Transformata Continuum.  Klauba’s series of paintings, inspired by Herman Melville’s novel, depict the classic characters as mythical bird-men.  Ahab is a red-eyed eagle; Fedallah is a tattooed vulture – their haunting portraits appear against the backdrop of the ocean as they hunt for the white whale.  At once familiar and foreign, the paintings are faithful to the book’s spirit, presenting a new way of seeing and understanding the story.

George Klauba encountered Moby Dick as a boy, in the illustrations of Classic Comics.   He first read the book after his service in the U.S. Navy, when he set sail on a Destroyer that collided with a whale in the mid-Atlantic.  After returning from the Navy, Klauba made a name for himself in Chicago as self-taught artist, George “Tattoo.”  His work has traveled many different paths and been in numerous gallery and museum exhibitions: Ann Nathan Gallery, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, and the New Bedford Art Museum to name a few.  His new paintings have the power of his early works, plus the nuanced touches of a great storyteller.

For over 20 years, Ann Nathan Gallery has been dedicated to established and emerging painters and sculptors in all media.  In addition to a strong focus on contemporary realism, the eclectic mix includes innovative functional pieces, works by famed self-taught and visionary artists, and selective African tribal art.  Visit Ann Nathan Gallery at : www.annnathangallery.com