For his October show at Principle Gallery, South Carolina-based artist Kyle Stuckey painted one of the most famous subjects on the planet—the Eiffel Tower. Countless artists, poets, filmmakers, musicians and other creators have focused their attention on the steel needle that sticks out of the Paris skyline, and yet that history did not deter him.
Over the Seine, oil, 18 x 14"
“It’s hard to not paint it. And even though it’s been painted before, I just wanted to paint what I was seeing. As I started, it was really about the light sources and the color temperature,” he says of his newest painting, Over the Seine. “It was about capturing the essence of the light and atmosphere, especially the light glowing off those low-hanging clouds. It was a dance of color, which was nice because it’s such a quintessentially romantic city.”
Exploring (Tonal Series), oil, 48 x 32"
That desire to explore famous locations and observe them with a fresh eye runs throughout Stuckey’s latest work, which will be on view beginning October 6 at Principle Gallery’s Charleston, South Carolina, location. Other subjects in the show include European street scenes, the canals of Venice, South Carolina Low Country and floral still lifes. The title is fitting: The Exploration Show.
“Exploration as a concept is two-fold for me: a good majority of the works are going to be from some of my travel abroad, but then the work will also explore my backyard here in Charleston,” the painter says. “I want to explore through observation and show people how I see the world and what I find beautiful. The goal is to observe rather than translate.”
In Full Color, oil, 30 x 24"
Stuckey also notes that past shows have featured portraits and figurative pieces, but this one will focus on landcapes and figurative, as well as some still life. He expects around 40 pieces to be available—anything from 40-by-40-inch studio pieces to 8-by-10-inch plein air paintings.
Down the Canal, oil, 15 x 24"
“Kyle Stuckey has carefully developed and refined his impressionistic realism style over the years in his paintings,” says gallery director Frank Conrad Russen. “He takes inspiration from the world around him as he believes it is important to observe the world we live in and capture both the full details and the simplicity and space. Stuckey is known for using a contrast of lights and darks, brushwork and textures to relay to viewers both an accurate rendering of his subject and to understand the emotion and experiences behind the art.”
The show will open with a reception on October 6, from 5 to 8 p.m., and will hang through October 31. —
Principle Gallery 125 Meeting Street Charleston, SC 29401 • (843) 727-4500 www.principlegallery.com
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