arizona

David Kessler | Mark Pomilio | Jim Waid | Denise Yaghmourian


Many of our artists hail from locations around the world, however, we are fortunate to have a group of talented individuals as our neighbors. Bentley Gallery is pleased to share the work of 4 local artists:  David Kessler, Mark Pomilio, Jim Waid, and Denise Yaghmourian. Their achievements in each of their mediums are commendable, and their contributions to the Phoenix and Tucson art communities are outstanding. 

 

In addition to their individual studio practices, David Kessler and Jim Waid have worked closely with city art commissions to bring large-scale works to fruition that are accessible to the public; Mark Pomilio is a Professor of Art at Arizona State University where he works with undergraduate and graduate students in painting and drawing; and Denise Yaghmourian participates in many public events, creating collaborative and interactive performances and installations. 

 

david kessler


David Kessler | Evening Splendor

acrylic on brushed aluminum

h64" w44" d1.75" | 2011

 

One of the most powerful tools an artist can possess is an ability to bridge the gap between what is real and what is illusion. David Kessler holds the viewer's attention by balancing the paradox of flat painted surface with the illusion of depth and space. Following the Photo-Realist tradition, David has been painting for more than 40 years, often depicting waterscapes, as well as the Arizona desert landscape surrounding his home. His use of transparent layers of airbrushed paint on brushed aluminum aids in his ability to create such an optical illusion of reality. His work on aluminum is an attempt to use the qualities of refracted light and have those qualities interact with the work itself. The completed painting results in a shifting perception for the viewer. 

 

David's work has been exhibited extensively throughout the U.S. and is in the collections of the Brooklyn Museum, Minnesota Museum of American Art, The Phoenician, IBM, Prudential, McDonald's, AT&T, ITEL, Kemper Art Collection, St. Joseph Hospital, Transamerica, CitiCorp, Bank of America, and Clorox.

 

mark pomilio 

Mark Pomilio |  Muley Point II

charcoal on paper, mounted to board (two panels)

h39" w80" d7" | 2013


Mark Pomilio's work focuses on the research of fractals, cloning, and single cell manipulation. His mathematics-based drawings serve as a metaphor for naturally occurring systems of reproduction and growth. When Mark begins a piece, he doesn't know where it will lead, although his tools and marks are precise. The layering, repetition, rotation, and distribution of basic shapes are improvised to emulate a single cell dividing and compounding into a complex form. The process of cell growth influences Mark's practice and is emphasized through his own process; the use of erasure, faint outlines, opacity and translucency, and deliberate marks. The resulting compositions are balanced, unified, and harmonious. 

 

His work is included in the collections of the University of Arizona Museum of Art, Baylor University Martin Museum of Art, Dupont Corporation, University of Michigan's Life Science Institute, University of Michigan's Office of the President, University of Michigan's School of Work, and University of Michigan's School of Engineering, among many other private collections. 


 jim waid 

Jim Waid | Day Break

acrylic on canvas (diptych)

h84" w132" | 1996

 

One of Arizona's most celebrated painters, Jim Waid creates abstract worlds saturated with color, layered with mark, filled with rhythm and movement, and intricately textured. His canvases barely contain the landscape painted upon them; lush with growth they invite the viewer to explore the space. His works convey a sense of nature, without the specificity of traditional landscape painting and drawing. Jim has not always worked with the landscape -- prior to he was a color field painter. However, his style changed dramatically after receiving a teaching job at the newly formed Pima Community College. The visual arts facilities were not complete upon school starting, so Jim took his students out in the desert to draw and paint. He soon found himself going out on his own, captivated by the landscape's light, atmosphere, color, texture, and structure. Jim has been committed to the landscape since then and continues to expand upon his own visual vocabulary. 

 

His work is included in the public collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Denver Art Museum, Tucson Museum of Art, Phoenix Art Museum, Museum of Fine Arts in Santa Fe, Palm Springs Desert Museum, University of Indiana Art Museum, Smith College Museum of Art, MGM, IBM, JP Morgan Guaranty Trust, and more. 

 

denise yaghmourian 

  Denise Yaghmourian | Black Jellyfish

yarn on wood, three cubes

h5" w5" d5" each (width and length vary) | 2009

 

Growing up, Denise Yaghmourian spent considerable time with her grandmother, a seamstress. She taught Denise how to sew, crochet, and work with fabric, but more importantly she taught her to appreciate craft and detail. Those lessons found their way back into Denise's studio practice as she was beginning an experimental body of work, soon after she graduated from school with a degree in painting. Rummaging through fabric stores, thrift shops, and toy stores for possible material, Denise considered the conceptual possibilities of working with fibers and found objects

 

Since then she has used objects and material to promote and challenge her conceptual investigations, as well as poke fun at them. The cube, a symbol for Minimalism, has been a source of experimentation and play over the last decade; a form to apply pattern and disparate materials. Each pattern and material explores a story and together they create a hybrid narrative, a driving force in Denise's work. The sculptures are intimate, monochromatic, meticulous, and meditative, as well as referential of Feminist principles, Post-Minimalist aesthetics, and contemporary art-making concerns. 

 

Denise's work is included in the collections of the Tucson Museum of Art, Arizona Country Club, Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, and Institute for Mental Health Research. 

 

We look forward to seeing you this season and introducing you to each of theses artists, if you haven't met already. In the meantime, please visit us in our new space later this summer.


Bentley Gallery

Founded in 1984, Bentley Gallery is synonymous with contemporary art in the Southwest. The gallery represents established artists, Asian antiquities, and works from the Modern era. 

Paramount to every exhibition at Bentley Gallery is the selection of works that are beautiful, that are exquisitely crafted, and that force us to change how we experience the spaces we share with the art.

The staff at Bentley Gallery has the resources and experience to provide premier art consultation combined with impeccable service. Our commitment is to connect collectors and admirers with the perfect works of art.

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215 E. Grant Street
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