CANTON, OH.- Engraved Fields features new work by Ohio artist, Jack McWhorter. These colorful, abstract paintings imbued with nature, color, and form are on view now through March 4, 2018. This original exhibition was curated by Tom Wachunas.

McWhorter develops his paintings through a thoughtful and intuitive process. He is inspired by the environment and has been known to paint in the woods surrounded by freshly fallen snow. Painting outdoors help MckWhorter bring his colors to life. This is recognizable in his work, as the pieces are striking and there is a light that emanates from within.

“My paintings begin with the idea of stratification. On one level, they function as models of connectivity, arrivals, or snapshots of structures and relationships in flux, carrying the evidence of serpentine paths that led to their destination.” Said, Jack McWhorter. “The process is operational, where imagery grows through classical ideas of gesture and touch, and in the way paint is applied.”

Art enthusiasts may detect the influences of twentieth century painter Paul Cézanne (1839–1906). Considered part of the Post-Impressionist movement, his unique method of building form with color and his analytical approach to nature is similar to McWhorter’s methods.

His abstract paintings challenge viewers to develop their own interpretations of the colors and patterns, which is one of the most interesting aspects of the exhibition. Engraved Fields urges visitors to experience the work in person with an inquisitive and open mind. Viewers may observe closely and freely explore the artwork, allowing personal meanings and emotions to emerge through the abstract colors, forms, and surfaces.

“McWhorter refers to his constructed pictorial sites collectively as ‘engraved fields.’ The reference is an apt one in the sense that his paintings are fields of a kind, articulated with a painterly calligraphy describing poetic singularities.” Said, Tom Wachunas. “Looking at these exuberant paintings is to encounter places where the mysterious, the metaphorical, and the mundane are conflated into elegant coexistence. Welcome to the abstract sublime.”

Jack McWhorter received his Masters of Fine Arts from Kent State University in 1983. He has exhibited artwork in over 100 gallery and museum exhibitions throughout his career. Currently, McWhorter is an Associate Professor of Art at Kent State University Stark Campus.