LONDON.- Rook & Raven Gallery presents Seize The Day Bed, the first UK solo exhibition by American artist and actor Billy Zane, from 11th October to 4th November 2013.

Seize The Day Bed features a collection of signature paintings that have drawn comparisons to both Abstract Expressionism and the Neo Expressionist movements.

Widely recognised as an actor, Zane is an exemplary Renaissance Man, also making waves as an artist and painter of merit and distinction. Zane began painting during his seven months of filming the blockbuster movie Titanic in 1997, utilising only locally sourced materials to create a series of abstract paintings. His interest for painting quickly developed from being a pastime to a real passion and he now sets up an art studio in each location he films. Using a process that is wildly methodical, Zane draws great inspiration from Action Painting. He explains:

“For me, the act of painting is a seduction by way of a contradiction. While creating on the ground is labor-intensive work, I am somehow transported beyond the physical. Color tears at my perception. Textures become structures to be broken and rebuilt again and again. This combination of labor and euphoria, of back work and ‘the high arts’ creates a curious pull between two forces; from which my most satisfying creations emerge. I feel quite alone in that moment, regardless of frequent foot traffic, neighbor’s cars and inflatable kiddie pools sharing my easel.”

Zane adds: “Seize The Day Bed is a song to duality in a sun burnt Southern Californian driveway. An offering of improvisations on canvas and burlap derived from the influence of opposing forces; a bi-polar, analogue construction in our digital world of multitasked, second screen experiences. Seize The Day Bed is a comment on that contradiction. A cry for urgent relaxation! A pun as punch.”

BILLY ZANE (b. 1966, Chicago, Illinois) is a well-known actor and talented visual artist. Zane attended the American School in Switzerland and graduated from Francis W. Parker School in Chicago. Following his graduation, Billy moved to Hollywood to start his career in acting. He has filmed over 100 movies including the blockbuster Titanic (1997), for which he won a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Best Supporting Actor. He began painting in 1997. He has had three solo exhibitions to date in the USA.