JEFF MCNEAR Artist/Printmaker I am a third generation artist who grew up surrounded not only by the paintings and sculpture of my grandfather and father, but by an impressive and ever changing collection of African, Pre-Columbian, South Asian, and Cubist art. Through this exposure I gained an appreciation for sculptural forms, and the musical grace of a well-executed line. I keep my work clean, open, and uncrowded so that it may serve as a jumping off point for thought. To my eye detail overpowers the essential rhythm and pattern that is beauty. To strip away extraneous embellishment and irrelevant detail is to perceive balance. Distilling the wall of information that surrounds us down to the most raw and honest forms leads to understanding. White noise becomes music, jerking motion achieves flow, chaotic elements find their place. In 1995 I turned my attention from sculpture to block printing. Block printing allows me to convey images in their most raw and honest forms. Simple line, texture, color and negative space project amazingly expressive imagery and visceral impact. Each individual print is handmade. When multiple colors are used, a separate block is carved for each color. Deliberate and inadvertent variations in colors and imprint strength occur within all of my editions. By convention, at the end of each edition the blocks that made the print are defaced ensuring that blocks will never be used after the edition is final. |