UPCOMING SHOW: Robin Durand's "Urbanscapes"

The directors of AMMO are pleased to present “Urbanscapes”, a solo exhibition of new works by Robin Durand. “Urbanscapes” will be on view at AMMO, 938 Royal Street, in the French Quarter of New Orleans, from March 21 through April 18, 2009.

There are areas of New Orleans that are unusually picturesque – and Robin Durand has captured a glimpse of these places that are often underappreciated. Freeway underpasses, overpasses, culverts, and slums become radiant in Durand’s delicate approach to painting, adding layers of paint to thinly washed panels to draw attention to the color combinations and compositions made by light and shadows at varying times of day.

In his own words:

For me, vision is not something that imposes itself on the eye, but something that is constantly being created and re-created in the mind. Vision shifts from one form to another as our focus and priorities change. Realizing this essential malleability of what I see is fundamental to my painting. I explore visual situations on site. I seek to unravel the intelligence of vision and arrive at something expansive to myself. My locations come from being struck by a motif that opens itself up to this particular curiosity. Often times the color combinations in a particular light are what grab my attention. My fascination with color comes from years studying various color principles, such as Monet’s “Envelope of Light” and Cezanne’s “Color Modulation”. What I look at is controlled partly by the ability to set up and paint unhindered by too much hustle and bustle. I also look for the overlooked, which brings me to areas of poverty such as overpasses or slums. Combinations of natural and industrial, old and new, intrigue me. New Orleans is filled with such combinations.

Durand was born in Hawaii and is the third generation of landscape painters in his family. He studied painting as an apprentice to George T. Thurmond and received a degree in Drawing and Painting from Louisiana State University. In addition to landscapes, Durand has an extensive background in mural work, including several commissions by the late Al Copeland for his restaurants in the United States. Durand’s work can also be found in the public collections of the Masur Museum of Fine Art, LSU Medical School, the Society for Geophysical Research, and the collection of Country Roads Magazine. He currently lives and works in New Orleans.

AMMO will celebrate the opening of “Urbanscapes” with an artist’s reception on Saturday, March 21, from 6:00 to 9:00pm. For images or more information, visit AMMO’s website at www.ammoarts.com or contact Gallery Director Mia Kaplan at 504-301-2584 or by e-mail at info@ammoarts.com.