Biographies of Lance Myers reveal that he has been a professional artist, writer and animator for 25 years, with his animation appearing in feature films like Space Jam, Anastasia, Quest for Camelot, Prince of Egypt and Richard Linklater’s A Scanner Darkly.He has published essays, and has written and directed short subject films for HBO, MTV, Adult Swim and PBS.
A Syntax in Bloom, oil on canvas, 28 x 21"
They don’t always mention his being a founder and frontman for the band Gals Panic, that sometimes practiced in a flower shop, and that he picks up odd bugs when walking his dog. Rachel Stephens, partner at Wally Workman Gallery in Austin, Texas, comments, “Lance Myers’ work evokes the Flemish flower paintings of the 17th and 18th centuries, embracing the hedonistic lushness of the natural world and creating an atmosphere that feels luxurious as well as taboo.” I told him that when I look at his often 4-foot by 3-foot paintings, I expect to find something perverse if I look close enough.
Aren’t You a Song, oil on canvas, 48 x 36"
He says, “To me the still life allows a stable, relatively neutral foundation on which to explore stylistic variations of the basic elements of design. Through such exploration, I have found that I am drawn to bright, bold imagery that explodes to fill the canvas. Like the Dutch Baroque, I frequently include insects. Mine are usually imaginary, sometimes grotesque exaggerations of actual insects injecting an element of surprise and subversion.
“I’m not sure there’s an overlap of fine art and animation. In animation, things have to be a little overblown to be readable. I’m sure that informs the way I approach compositions, with readable shapes and engaging colors. I had started with the Zorn palette of the Swedish painter Anders Zorn, which consisted of just four colors: yellow ochre, ivory black, vermilion and titanium white, but there wasn’t enough pizazz.”
The Brief but Violent Reign of the Zinnia King, oil on canvas, 40 x 30"
Practicing in the flower shop, he got to observe the flowers and to watch the floral arrangers at work. Although he had never really listened to jazz, during the pandemic lockdown he listened to a podcast with Miles Davis who had recorded In a Silent Way in 1969. It was a groundbreaking album that began a new creative phase in Davis’ life.
Myers says, “I got jazz for the first time in my life. As I listened to Davis, I was embarking on this new painting journey of still lifes. There were similarities in our approach. In some pieces, Davis would have a recognizable tune and then go off into abstract notes, a riff on a standard song. It resonated with what I was thinking of doing.”
To Plainly See, oil on canvas, 40 x 30"
Myers’ recent paintings will be shown in the exhibition Frequencies in the Static Bloom, at Wally Workman Gallery, which opens with a reception on June 7 from 6 to 8 p.m. and hangs through July 6. —
Wally Workman Gallery 1202 W. 6th Street • Austin, TX 78703 (512) 472-7428 • www.walleyworkmangallery.com
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