Stepping into the timeless worlds created through the paintings of Daniel F. Gerhartz is an experience unlike any other. His feathery, expressive touch, captivating colors, and enduring themes continue to enthrall during a solo exhibition in Texas.
Insight Gallery hosts the latest installment of artist Daniel F. Gerhartz’s newest paintings for the month of November in Fredericksburg, Texas. Opening November 6, “Seasons of Light” will showcase a number of outstanding paintings featuring Gerhartz’s characteristic brushwork, luminous color, and timeless themes and subjects.
Daniel Gerhartz, “Legacy,” oil, 36 x 48 in. (c) Insight Gallery 2015
Gerhartz is heavily influenced by modern Russian art, which often displays a freedom and expression of paint application but, at the same time, is concentrated, intentional, and deliberate. Per the artist’s website, “Dan’s paintings embrace a range of subjects, most prominently the female figure in either a pastoral setting or an intimate interior. He is at his best with subjects from everyday life, genre subjects, sacred-idyllic landscapes or figures in quiet repose, meditation or contemplative isolation. His master of the female figure, the clothed figure especially, is brilliant. He has drawn inspiration from the very old tradition of Romanticism and symbolism. His absolutely lavish surfaces, color and lighting are in harmony with his expressionistic brushstroke, application and modeling of light and shade.”
Daniel Gerhartz, “With You,” oil, 30 x 40 in. (c) Insight Gallery 2015
“Legacy” displays Gerhartz’s mastery of the male figure as well. During the early-morning or late-afternoon hours of a gorgeous day, a father and son train their attention on the calm waters of a river or lake. The boy, fishing pole in hand, concentrates on his lure as his father points and instructs. The dress of the two has an old-time feel, complete with cowboy hats and jeans. At distance, the viewer finds the purple peaks of a mountain range. The luminance and color of the painting are truly outstanding. Although only a small sliver of sky can be found at the top of the piece, the water beautifully reflects the sky above. A captivating graduation of red, orange, blue, green, and purple colors cascades across the surface. Activating the surface and adding another layer of visual interest is Gerhartz’s expressive brushwork, which endows the piece with a dreamy, timeless aura.
Daniel Gerhartz, “You Are Not Forgotten,” oil, 40 x 60 in. (c) Insight Gallery 2015
Feelings of nostalgia come flooding through “The Journey from a Boy to a Man.” Idyllic and sentimentalized, the painting’s subject could recall a Norman Rockwell, though the expressive application of paint departs sharply from the crisp works of the famed American illustrator. Standing in full length near center, we find an adolescent boy gazing confidently out into the wilderness. It’s early winter and the boy rests his shotgun over his shoulder as his prey — a pheasant rooster — hangs from his vest. Echoing the boy’s posture and demeanor is a satisfied companion, a black-and-white spaniel who stands at the figure’s feet. Beautiful evergreen trees, highlighted by a golden, glowing sunlight dance around the canvas while distant mountain peaks suggest the vast expanse the two subjects occupy.
“Seasons of Light” opens on November 6 and will be on view through November 23.
To learn more, visit Insight Gallery.
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