Artist Bio
Hi,
I'm an abstract painter living in Chicago, IL and Door County, WI. My work often evolves from images found in nature. I'm interested in the interplay of positive and negative shapes, lights and darks, transparency and opacity found in nature especially as these elements become abstract.
I find the interaction between figure ground relationships in natural forms to be compelling. When I'm painting, I particularly enjoy when the work takes on a surprising direction of its own. This improvisational dialogue with the painting often produces 'happy accidents'.
My current work is characterized by abstract compositions, brilliant color, and fluid, gestural mark making. I work primarily in oils and mixed media in the studio and in pastel for sketches in the field usually in a square format which emphasizes the abstract quality of the work. Often working from fragments of photographs, I develop a cropped image into a bold, colorful composition that may be rooted in figuration but avoids ‘the tyranny of reality’.
I like to use a square format because it forces the viewer to view the natural subject matter more abstractly. Continually experimenting with and learning new techniques in workshops and classes with other artists fuels my art practice and keeps it 'fresh'.
My work is influenced by nineteenth century ukiyo-e Japanese wood block prints with their lack of perspective or shadow, flat areas of strong color and compositional freedom in placing subjects off-center. Contemporary influences on my art include the artists Lois Dodd, Alex Katz and David Hockney.
Other favorite artists whose work I am drawn to include Richard Diebenkorn, Wolf Kahn, Henri Matisse, Joan Mitchell and Vincent Van Gogh. In the 1990's, I was fortunate to study with Lois Dodd at a ME workshop and Wolf Kahn at the Vermont Studio Center.
I hold a BFA in painting from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and maintain studios in both Chicago and Door County. I exhibit my work regularly at the Arts Club of Chicago and in juried competitions in the Midwest. My work is in private collections around the country.
P.S. If you'd like to see my work in person, please contact me at [email protected] or 773.636.6289 to arrange an appointment to visit my gallery/studio in Ellison Bay, WI (12495 Door Bluff Rd.) or my studio in Chicago, IL.
P.P.S. I was also recently interviewed in the Door County Pulse about my studio/gallery opening during the May Ellison Bay Spring Art Crawl.
Here's a short excerpt from the interview, along with a link to the full article:
Get excited, Ellison Bay – there’s a new gallery in town. The K Wilder Fine Art studio/gallery, 12495 Door Bluff Road, is opening to the public for the first time during this year’s art crawl...
I'd love to hear what you think about the interview; please contact me and share your feedback.
Until next time,
Keven Wilder
