Robin Denevan has traveled broadly over the past several years capturing landscapes and water scenes and creating beautiful encaustics. Instead of taking snapshots of his travels in Venezuela or keeping a journal of his experiences, Denevan set up his painting materials on riverbanks and created the wood panels of “Horizon Light.” Denevan’s technique and medium are unique and fanciful. Though many of the pieces appear to be similar at first glance, upon closer inspection the different shapes and textures caused by the hot beeswax make each painting one of a kind. The beeswax also affects the coloring, blending and blurring the saffron, vermillion and turquoise oil so the paintings look like they are being viewed through a veil. The wax causes the colors to be smooth and creates a unique experience for the eye. The impact of these pieces in the gallery is powerful. They are beautiful and the multi-paneled encaustics, such as “Triptych,” are the most striking of all. Denevan hopes his paintings are more than just a visual experience and he has succeeded in this goal. The paintings make one think of a land far, far away and cause one to want to jump a plane to the Orinoco Delta in Venezuela. (Rachel Turney)
Through July 15 at Addington Gallery, 704 N. Wells, (312) 664-3406.
Lost in Translation: A Review of Crip* at Gallery 400 The strongest works in the exhibition succinctly express the ways the artist relates to their own body while calling out how the artist’s body and body of work has been perceived or coded against norms or ideals.
