Strokes and Expressions

Strokes and Expressions: Works on paper by Deng Guoyuan and Rosalyn Richards

Curated by Dan Mills

Organized by the Samek Art Gallery, Bucknell University, and Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts Museum

"Strokes and Expressions" pairs two highly regarded artists from opposite sides of the world: Deng Guoyuan (Tianjin, China) and Rosalyn Richards (Pennsylvania, USA). Each are accomplished in several media. This exhibition focuses on their works on paper.

Deng and Richards investigate how we see and understand the world. Both make ambitious large-scale works on paper that are abstractions and part representations of the natural world. They share a profound and intensive focus on a subject, media and technique. In their hands, these elements fuse to become the singular works we see in this exhibition.

Deng's ink and brush on paper work are characterized by expressive flourishes of brushstrokes that both represent and capture the energy of the images he paints, which are often cropped and close-up views of gardens. His brushstrokes are both luscious and stark: variations of grey brushstrokes on off-white paper that create and deconstruct images, and form and break down patterns of marks. Richards graphite drawings are filled with meticulous marks and shading that, like Deng's work, often fill the paper. Much of her work references shapes and forms that also explain the natural world. However, Richards investigates systems that provide forms of information--charts, imagery derived from science such as seismology and microscopy among others--to create works that represent and abstract our world.

While based on elements of representation, the viewer will instead recognize that for both, the subject is the marks and fields of marks, be it Richards' drawn lines, dots and shading in graphite, or Deng's brushstrokes, blots and bleeding ink. These are the embodiment and fusion of imagery derived from our world and its abstraction.