Emerging Artist | Jeremiah J. White - Southwest Art Magazine

Still lifes that explore complexities

Jeremiah J. White, Onions, oil, 11 x 14.

This story was featured in the October 2013 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art October 2013 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story!

Colorado-based painter Jeremiah J. White enjoys delving into the many complexities and dichotomies that exist in daily life. Meaning, he says, can always shift depending on the situation and the viewer. For example, White explains, gray skies and fog can trigger a sense of foreboding, but they can also evoke a sense of calm. Likewise, a vase can sometimes be a vessel that sustains life, or it can be the container for the decay of something beautiful. White is fond of using symbolism in his classically painted works, and he believes it’s the artist’s job to spark the viewer’s imagination.

In his painting ONIONS, he symbolically explores human psychological complexities. “Onions are an excellent symbol for layers,” he says. “Most things in life have multiple layers to them, but oftentimes we see them only as a whole. The inspiration for this piece was about people and how they tend to have a dry, sort of protective outer layer that only hints at what’s underneath. When that’s peeled away, the vividness of our personalities and experiences are exposed.”

Jeremiah J. White, White Rose, oil, 8 x 11.

For the past two years, White, 31, has been a finalist in The Artist’s Magazine’s annual art competitions. In 2011 he was awarded an honorable mention in a prestigious Portrait Society of America competition. As this story was going to press, White was creating works for a group show at Arts at Denver.

Gallery director Paula Colette Conley is enthusiastic about White’s future. Conley took her first look at his body of work earlier in the year and knew instantly that she wanted to represent him. Within a few hours of their arrival at the gallery, three of White’s paintings were sold; five more sold within two weeks. “Jeremiah has a unique point of view and an astute sense of observation,” Conley says. “He paints in layers of oil on panel in a finely detailed manner. His deep blacks draw you into mysterious spaces, and the sharp contrasts bring the pieces to a lifelike state.” —Bonnie Gangelhoff

representation
Arts at Denver, Denver, CO; www.jeremiahjwhite.com.

Featured in the October 2013 issue of Southwest Art magazine–click below to purchase:
Southwest Art October 2013 print issue or digital download
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