The West transforms anyone who travels through it. With this in mind, Jack Livingston devoted himself to The Canyon Suite, his first exhibit in five years.
For The Canyon Suite, on view at Minas Gallery, Livingston relied on hazy yet enduring childhood memories of running rampant through Colorado?s Ralston Creek and zooming through mountains with his father behind the wheel of a Hudson Hornet Hollywood car.
His paintings are not literal depictions of the mountains and skies, rather they reflect “trace feelings,” Livingston said.
The Baltimore artist likens his paintings, mostly gouache on linen, to small paintings of deities by Tibetian Buddhists that represent specific psychological states.
Livingston “is a true delight to work with because his incredible talent is joined by his extreme professionalism, and you don?t always get that combination with great minds,” said co-owner of Minas Gallery Peggy Hoffman.
Pinks, browns and blues dominate the relatively petite paintings, ranging in size from 5 by 5 to 15 by 11 inches.
“He is a master of color,” Hoffman said. “He puts colors together in a way that draws the eye and holds you without overwhelming you. He allows you to get lost in the painting.”
The Canyon Suite challenged Livingston to eliminate his inner art critic ? a voice he knows well as an arts writer for various online and print outlets, and a lecturer at numerous universities.
“A lot of the work [in Baltimore] is intellectualized more and theoretically driven because it?s derived from training,” Livingston said. “As a writer I know that, and as a painter I know I have to get rid of that [knowledge.] Otherwise, I?m pandering to something I feel isn?t me.”
The title of Livingston?s show partly borrows from Ferde Grofe?s “The Grand Canyon Suite.”
Symphonic jazz composer Grofe based his best-known work on his drive across the Arizona desert in 1916 to watch the sun rising over the Grand Canyon, Livingston said.
He added, “I became interested in the piece?s resurgence when the country takes a renewed interest periodically with folksy Americana and the American West.”
IF YOU GO » Jack Livingston: The Canyon Suite
» Venue: Minas Gallery
815 W. 36th St., Baltimore
When: 1 a.m. to 6 p.m., Closed Tuesdays. Through Oct. 28
» Information: 410-732-4258
