By Samuel Harwood
Each close look at the work of Randall Stoltzfus, who calls himself, “a landscape painter with a little obsession with circles,” seems different than the last, especially when viewed in person.
Stoltzfus’ current exhibition is showing at Bergamot Station’s Laura Korman Gallery from now through May 14 and was a hit during Saturday’s Spring Fling event at the art space.
Stoltzfus’ paintings focus on perceptions of light and use a variety of materials to provide different perceptions.
One painting uses a palladium circle near the frame’s top-center to create different shades of color depending on the light in the room.
For Stoltzfus, who is based in Brooklyn, this makes the Santa Monica-setting especially important.
“There’s something special about seeing the work in a different context,” the artist told The Mirror. “The weather in Brooklyn is very different than here and also the light is so different. So it’s exciting to see these paintings because I have sort of an obsession with light and have spent a lot of time working on the way things change when the light changes in the room, [like] gold leaf iridescence. So this is the biggest possible change in light to go from my Brooklyn studio to this space drenched in Santa Monica sun.”
Stoltzfus’ paintings, take months of layering different oils and pigments, a process he compares to the layering of scrim. The circles provide a sense of unity and convey the natural settings across each piece.
The exhibit, named Penumbra “the study of light and the physiological response,” features some of Stolzfus’ favorite work which in the past has been displayed in Italy, New York City and his native Virginia.
Laura Korman Gallery is located at Bergamot Station Arts Center, 2525 Michigan Ave, D2, Santa Monica. Phone: 310.828.1883. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 11am-5pm and by appointment.
