July, August, September, 2017
Allen Cobb
Sound, Light and Video Sculptures
October, November, 2017
The Art of Tony Stenger
The Photography of David Fleming at ICON in April and May
Visual artists aren't usually known for extensive verbal analysis of the creative process, but
occasionally they can hit the mark, and with just a few words inspire other artists. That's what
Jasper Johns did for Fairfield photographer David Fleming, when he summed up his own
artistic practice in three short sentences: "Take something. Do something to it. Do something
else to it." Add to that some words of Chagall ("Color is life"), and Picasso ("When I haven't
any blue I use red"), and Fleming found plenty of direction for his creativity.
All three of these quotes find expression in the extensive body of work showing at Fairfield's
ICON Gallery in April and May. Entitled "Altered Images -- Photographs by David Fleming",
the nearly 100 prints explore a wide variety of styles and subjects, from the abstracted shapes
of ordinary tables and chairs, to Amish buggies, industrial trucks, trains and machinery,
cemetery statuary, botanical forms, and the nude. Roughly half of the images are in (often
vibrant) color, and half in black and white, ranging from coal black, to grungy/grainy grays,
to pristine white.
And don't expect everything to be in sharp focus. While Ansel Adams is known for saying,
"There's nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept," Fleming has turned this
notion around to read, "Sometimes there is nothing better than a fuzzy image of a sharp
concept." All his work is photo-based, even the most abstract pieces, or those that seem to
be purely graphic design.
David studied art history in college, but it wasn't till he arrived in Fairfield 18 years ago that
he took up studio practice, working primarily in paint, and purely abstractly. His show at
Teeple-Hansen Gallery 10 years ago was titled "Lines, Dots, and Stripes". While for the past
4 years he has focused almost exclusively on photography, his background in painting --
and the aphorisms of other artists -- serve as his inspiration and continue be his creative
launching pad.
David Fleming Artist Statement and Photographs...
https://www.facebook.com/ICON.gallery
IF THE MIND IS STILL, DOES THE HEART SEE?
Recent work by Bill Witherspoon
…
April 28 through June 3, 2017
Special Thanks to our
ICON MEMBERS &
Corporate Sponsors:
IOWA CONTEMPORARY ART | 58 North Main Street, Fairfield, IA 52556 | 641-469-6252 | bill@icon-art.org | icon-art.org
GALLERY HOURS: Tuesday – Friday, 12:00 to 5:00pm, Saturday, 1:00 to 4:00pm and by appointment.
ICON is an IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit educational charity. All donations are tax-deductible.
