Artist Spotlight: Brian Reed - From Semi to Abstract And Back

Brian Reed, Beyond the Circle, Oil, 60 x 48"

Growing up in northern Canada, Brian Reed would traverse the cold environments to travel to school in the dark in the winter months. The silver lining through his commute was the famed Northern Lights, Reed’s first introduction to color on a grandiose scale. The Aurora Borealis served not only as natural inspiration, but an organic and swirling kaleidoscopic dance of color. This experience set in motion Reed’s journey to investigate color theory and apply his ideas to canvas.

Brian Reed, Nebulus, Oil, 36 x 48"

Reed’s exhibition, From Semi To Abstract and Back, is a collection of abstract and semi-abstract paintings that encompass his relationship with color, form, and the ways in which they intersect. Bold blotches of paint and energetic strokes cover the canvases, referencing the abstract expressionists of the 20th century. Color is also in abundance here -- including vibrant reds and bold blacks, making each painting a visual pathway for the viewers with nooks of unexpected texture.

Brian Reed, Sunset Over Whitehorse, Oil, 36 x 48"

Reed cites his Norwegian grandfather as an inspiration for his work, not to emulate, but to stray away from. As his grandfather rarely diverged beyond somber blacks and grays, Reed takes a bolder approach to color.

Brian Reed, Migration, Oil, 48 x 60"

From Semi To Abstract and Back invites the viewer to see the progress that young boy viewing the northern lights has made. This body of work is a color study, but more so than that, an expression of the artist’s childlike imagination that he has never lost.

Meet Brian at the Artists Panel: Saturday, March 10, 3pm

Exhibition runs through March 17