When standing outside and taking in the natural world, it is easy to get lost for a moment breathing in the fresh air, listening to the sounds and marveling in the surrounding beauty. It also can be a reminder that there is a larger space around us and ignite any number of emotions and thoughts. Artist Kevin Fitzgerald has been painting the landscape for more than 30 years and focuses on quiet and contemplative scenes.
Island Sundown, oil on canvas, 36 x 48"
Inlet Blue, oil on canvas, 24 x 48"
Fitzgerald’s works are simple in their forms, colors and atmosphere. This minimalism, as he explains, might recall music or poetry that instead of having a fully flushed narrative is devoid of details and allows the viewer, reader or listener to open their mind to endless possibilities. His paintings—soft and effortless—then have almost a universal quality rather than being reminders of a particular place.
Atlantic Wave, oil on canvas, 48 x 72"
“Poetry is one of the great few things that alludes to everything. When it’s arranged just right it opens your heart in such a way that a novel couldn’t do with particulars and all kinds of details,” Fitzgerald says. “It gets to the point of it and the essence of it with the fewest words and fewest notes. It kicks open the door to the possibility that there’s more going on than we can possibly imagine. A great poem or great painting reminds you for a minute that we’re in the middle of a mystery.”
Inlet Dawn, oil on canvas, 36 x 48"
The artist also aims for harmonious paintings, where all of the elements work as one. He says, “I am looking for Unity, with the capital U. I want everything to be at a distance, and I try to be in the classical realm where there is a balance, a respect and coherence…I’m trying to be restrained with color; it’s there but it’s a part of the whole and the Unity.”
On March 20, from 6:30 to 9 p.m., Principle Gallery in Alexandria, Virginia, will open its next solo exhibition for Fitzgerald. The show, which will feature around 20 new works, will remain on view through April 10. —
Principle Gallery
208 King Street • Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 739-9326 • www.principlegallery.com
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