Comparisons to Chris Van Allsburg have been made. His Charcoal drawings, especially, evoke The Mysteries of Harris Burdick. But while Aron Wiesenfeld employs a similar dreamlike realism and suggested narrative, his psychological territory skews somewhat older, a good deal darker and decidedly more complex. His characters are often young, when emotions were more visceral and less compartmentalized, when fear and loneliness and wonder could all occur simultaneously in an intense but untidy emotional package. This is narrative art, first and foremost, and he is exceptionally good at suggesting an elaborate back story to draw the viewer into a paticipatory role as storyteller. But his technique, while always subordinate to the narrative, is wonderfully rich as well. I'm sure looking forward to following his work in the years to come.
Visit his website (aronwiesenfeld.com) and for a few images not included there, check out his Flickr site.
"Early" oil on linen 12"x9.75" 2008
"The Oath Breakers" oil on canvas 62"x47.5" 2009
untitled 35"x50" charcoal on paper 2007
"Tunnel" 16.5"x14" charcoal on paper 2008
"Flood" oil on canvas 24"x24"
Wow. Tunnel is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteYes, I love how the perspective on that piece suggests an almost infinite space below.
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