Charles Keiger "Flyover" 2023, oil on canvas, 30"x34"

The Mechanics of Color

March 24 - April 22 

A group show featuring painters who combine colors in especially skillful and dynamic ways. 

Artists who make an exploration of color the lifeblood of their art are known as colorists. Rather than employing color simply as a representational tool or structural device that influences composition, a colorist calls on the emotional component of color to steer a painting’s effect on the viewer. Like a gifted mechanic who expertly aligns an engine’s parts for proper function, a colorist develops exacting color relationships that communicate complex meanings to the viewer. 

There are countless ways to combine primary, secondary, and tertiary colors for various effects—such as red to yellow for warmth and blue to green for a sense of coolness. Using three side by side colors on a color wheel creates a smoothly unified effect, whereas colors from opposite sides generate vibration and excitement. Alternatively, the juxtaposition of tones of a single color forms a more restrained mood. Colors can then be darkened, lightened or greyed for additional impact.

Color theory provides practical guidance for color combinations and determines how these color schemes evoke certain emotions and meanings when communicating with us. Throughout the history of art, from the dark brown and black pigments beloved by Rembrandt to light-filled Impressionist compositions to the garish hues often seen in contemporary art, colorists stretch the boundaries of color, creating works that captivate viewers. Although painters fall into this category most easily, photographers and installation artists can be master colorists too.

TEW Galleries represents a wide range of artists whose skillful use of color brings rooms to life. Our next show, The Mechanics of Color, features art that demonstrates this mastery. We hope you will attend. Opening night is Friday, March 24, 6:00 – 8:00 PM, with works remaining on view until Saturday, April 22.