Jacob Feige. I Had a _____ Day

About

Selections from two new related series, Cutaway and Screen paintings by Feige, will be presented. Both combine objects and situations from daily life juxtaposed with the imaginative distractions from inner thoughts, but with different approaches to the composition and presentation format. We see literal objects and situations in front of us everyday, both in our familiar personal spaces and as we venture out into new spaces outside of our daily routine. However, as we are interrupted, distracted and overly stimulated by the world around us, our mind sees and records something different. That is the space Feige explores in his artwork. The Cutaway series is detailed with multiple transitions in and out of representational objects and literal settings connected by a mélange of visually stimulating and colorful illusions. The Screen paintings are more reductive with a smaller secondary painting affixed to the larger painting.

Feige is a spectacular painter, a master of technique, intuitive with a keen eye as an avid observer of the world around him. His attention to details, color relationships, visual harmonies and compositional organization allow him to combine complex and multi-layered details that flow seamlessly between the observed and imagined worlds—a cornerstone of his artistic practice. These paintings instantly pull the viewer in with their harmonic color palettes and intriguing imagery—the combination of fragmented representational and realist elements alongside pure abstractions that are dream-like surreal moments ranging from optical and illusory to psychedelic and trippy—all provide multiple points of entry, both visually and conceptually. These easel-sized paintings encourage viewing close up and far away, both to see and appreciate the painted detail, but also to step back and decode the imagery and seek possible clues. They are open to the viewer’s unique experiences and individual interpretation.