The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department is pleased to announce that paintings by local artist Michael Hayes and Charlotte, North Carolina, based artist Jonathan Rice will be on exhibit at the North Charleston City Gallery from June 1-29, 2018. Admission to view the concurrent solo exhibitions is free.
Hayes
Local artist Michael Hayes will display a collection of abstract oil paintings on canvas that explore color and experiment with texture. Hayes begins each piece by creating marks and shapes at random, finding satisfaction in the spontaneous, often compulsive, act of drawing and painting. He allows his paintings to unfold organically and maintains spontaneity by adding and destroying layers intuitively until the residue builds up the complexity of the image. This process creates an opportunity for the artist to experiment with his materials as well as the formal values of painting. “I like to think of the studio as a laboratory, where my experiments serve in the pursuit of a meaningful painting experience,” he explains.
Michael C. Hayes earned a BFA in studio art from Georgia State University in 2014. Hayes cites post war Abstract Expressionist painters like Rothko, Pousette-Dart, Gorky, and Baziotes as his major art influences, as well as European masters such as Matisse, Picasso, Cezanne, and Braque. His work has been featured in solo exhibitions in Charleston and San Francisco, as well as in a number of group exhibitions in Charleston and Atlanta. He currently creates work from his home studio in Johns Island.
Excursions – Paintings by Jonathan Rice
Abstract painter Jonathan Rice will present a collection of acrylic and mixed media works from his Excursion series. The images, color, composition, and texture in his work are all informed by what he reads, listens to, and that which surrounds him. “I explore the relevance of the indescribable, and work toward the understanding of that which can’t always be understood,” Rice explains. In this sense, creating art is a spiritual journey for the artist as he seeks to connect the physical and the nonphysical with the intention of drawing the viewer into a deeper understanding of his or herself in relation to the world and that which is physically beyond them.
Jonathan K. Rice was born in Indiana, grew up in south Florida, and presently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his family. His paintings derive inspiration from the art of Robert Motherwell, Paul Klee, and Jasper Johns and have been included in a number of solo and group exhibitions in galleries, businesses, and educational institutions throughout North and South Carolina. His artwork has been featured on the cover of numerous books and online magazines such as The Pedestal, Referential Magazine, Red Headed Stepchild, Levure Litteraire, The Inflectionist Review and Empty Mirror. In addition to being a visual artist, Rice is also an award-winning poet, author, and founding editor and publisher of Iodine Poetry Journal. Learn more about the artist at jonathankriceartist.com.
The North Charleston City Gallery is situated in two corridors of the northwest corner of the Charleston Area Convention Center, located at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston. Parking and admission are free. Gallery hours are Tuesdays 12-5pm, Wednesdays 11am-5pm, Thursdays 11am-7:30pm, and Fridays 11am-5pm. Inquiries regarding the artists or purchase information may be directed to the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at (843)740-5854. For information on additional exhibits, programs, and events, visit the Arts & Culture section of the City’s website.