Spalding Nix

A Cosmic Point on which the Soul May Fix Her Intellectual Eye

2016

This painting features hues of green, yellow and white. Chattanooga-based artist Christina Renfer Vogel’s “Turning Towards the Sun” features paintings that reflect an intentional tu...

This painting features hues of yellow red, orange, and green. Chattanooga-based artist Christina Renfer Vogel’s “Turning Towards the Sun” features paintings that reflect an intentio...

This painting features hues of yellow, purple and orange. Chattanooga-based artist Christina Renfer Vogel’s “Turning Towards the Sun” features paintings that reflect an intentional turn towards beauty in the face of the tension & uncertainty of recent years. Through nourishing periods of focused observation, she has allowed herself to delight in jubilant color, playful pattern & sensual gesture. Her works delight in the delicate unfurling of a tender leaf & the gentle turn towards an open window, as flowers seek warmth & stretch towards sunlight in the space of a painting session. “Bringing plants...

This painting features hues of green, red, orange and grey. Chattanooga-based artist Christina Renfer Vogel’s “Turning Towards the Sun” features paintings that reflect an intentional turn towards beauty in the face of the tension & uncertainty of recent years. Through nourishing periods of focused observation, she has allowed herself to delight in jubilant color, playful pattern & sensual gesture. Her works delight in the delicate unfurling of a tender leaf & the gentle turn towards an open window, as flowers seek warmth & stretch towards sunlight in the space of a painting session. “Bringing plants...

'LOL' is an abstract pointillist painting featuring hues of yellow, orange, pink, and white. Robert Hightower is inspired by the work of Giotto, Hieronymus Bosch, Jean-François Millet, Roger Brown, Howard Arkley and Julian Opie. This piece is a part of a special immersive gallery installation, “The Apocalypse Simulacra,” which is a narrative presentation of the twilight of humanity, at the fulcrum of extinction by Atlanta-based artist Robert Hightower. Through stage-set constructions, readymade plastic models and paintings, Hightower investigates the duality of right/wrong, good/bad, eternal/ephemeral in light of the imminent end of the Human Epoch. It depicts the ideological origins of corporate greed and power, the reality of wealth distribution in the “American Dream,” and the socio-economic and environmental impacts of that collective greed. After receiving a BFA in sculpture from the University of Georgia, Hightower moved to New York City and participated in The Bronx Museum of the Art’s AIM Fellowship (Artist In the Marketplace). While in New York, his interests expanded to include art installation and the creation of spaces, and has since designed and built many unique homes, penthouses and restaurants throughout the United States. Hightower has returned home to Atlanta and will be presenting his most comprehensive body of work to date, “The Apocalypse Simulacra,” a unique universe of beauty, dichotomy and uncertainty. ARTIST STATEMENT The 'Apocalypse Simulacra' is a presentation of the twilight of humanity, at the fulcrum of extinction. The climate is the subject. The Simulacra is the Theme. First discussed by Plato, the Simulacra is the search for Truth in Duality. Developing into Post-Modernism with Nietzsche’s: truth=Truth. Now with Bauvillard, the Simulacra has evolved beyond Post-Modernism, into the wholesale confusion of the real/fake, the true/false… between reality and hyper-reality. This crumbling, confusing of the truth (not necessarily the Truth) is our Reality. For over two decades, I have created large format paintings of strip malls, suburban houses and toys. These paintings present singular images flattened-out (almost floating) on color-fields. They create a certain duality - a loving portrait of an inanimate object that would not normally be singled-out for affection. With my latest work, I have added a variety of iconic images: an airplane, a whisky bottle, a woman floating in a pool. The icons are presented in a pixelated or degenerated state. In addition to paintings, I have used adult-size building blocks to create sculptures or three-dimensional paintings. Using a child's toy at an adult-scale gives the building blocks an austere and powerful presence. The building blocks echo the blocks of the pixelated paintings...

'Omega II' is an abstract pointillist painting featuring hues of tan, ocher, green, brown, pink and black. Robert Hightower is inspired by the work of Giotto, Hieronymus Bosch, Jean-François Millet, Roger Brown, Howard Arkley and Julian Opie. This piece is a part of a special immersive gallery installation, “The Apocalypse Simulacra,” which is a narrative presentation of the twilight of humanity, at the fulcrum of extinction by Atlanta-based artist Robert Hightower. Through stage-set constructions, readymade plastic models and paintings, Hightower investigates the duality of right/wrong, good/bad, eternal/ephemeral in light of the imminent end of the Human Epoch. It depicts the ideological origins of corporate greed and power, the reality of wealth distribution in the “American Dream,” and the socio-economic and environmental impacts of that collective greed. After receiving a BFA in sculpture from the University of Georgia, Hightower moved to New York City and participated in The Bronx Museum of the Art’s AIM Fellowship (Artist In the Marketplace). While in New York, his interests expanded to include art installation and the creation of spaces, and has since designed and built many unique homes, penthouses and restaurants throughout the United States. Hightower has returned home to Atlanta and will be presenting his most comprehensive body of work to date, “The Apocalypse Simulacra,” a unique universe of beauty, dichotomy and uncertainty. ARTIST STATEMENT The 'Apocalypse Simulacra' is a presentation of the twilight of humanity, at the fulcrum of extinction. The climate is the subject. The Simulacra is the Theme. First discussed by Plato, the Simulacra is the search for Truth in Duality. Developing into Post-Modernism with Nietzsche’s: truth=Truth. Now with Bauvillard, the Simulacra has evolved beyond Post-Modernism, into the wholesale confusion of the real/fake, the true/false… between reality and hyper-reality. This crumbling, confusing of the truth (not necessarily the Truth) is our Reality. For over two decades, I have created large format paintings of strip malls, suburban houses and toys. These paintings present singular images flattened-out (almost floating) on color-fields. They create a certain duality - a loving portrait of an inanimate object that would not normally be singled-out for affection. With my latest work, I have added a variety of iconic images: an airplane, a whisky bottle, a woman floating in a pool. The icons are presented in a pixelated or degenerated state. In addition to paintings, I have used adult-size building blocks to create sculptures or three-dimensional paintings. Using a child's toy at an adult-scale gives the building blocks an austere and powerful presence. The building blocks echo the blocks of the pixelated paintings...

Oil and gold leaf on canvas For centuries, artisans and artists have turned to gold leaf as a way to make their creations shimmer and shine. Also many contemporary artists continue ...

Oil and gold leaf on canvas For centuries, artisans and artists have turned to gold leaf as a way to make their creations shimmer and shine. Also many contemporary artists continue ...

"My recent work now becomes more involved with cloud cover and its effect on light and colour through both its translucent and opaque properties. Clouds are visible masses of water droplets or frozen ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere. They have the ability to refract and reflect, creating an ever changing perception of light which inspires my use of colour. I am constantly referring to the paradox of a cloud’s perceived weight and its fragility and the relationship between the cool and warm colours created by it. I have become increasingly interested in catching the moment when heavy overcast clears to reveal clear blue sky, a cool colour that complements the warmth it brings. While the most obvious manifestation of light refraction at this time would occur in the form of a rainbow, I will be concerned with accentuating the infinite, more subtle effects. I find myself inspired increasingly by the works of Turner, who created ephemeral atmospheric effects using large washes of liquid paint. Other influences include Henry Matisse, Francis Cadell...

"My recent work now becomes more involved with cloud cover and its effect on light and colour through both its translucent and opaque properties. Clouds are visible masses of water d...

Oil and gold leaf on canvas Sold as a Diptych, and also available individually For centuries, artisans and artists have turned to gold leaf as a way to make their creations shimmer...

At the heart of the composition lies a small house, nestled amidst the enchanting landscapes of Galilee. On a foggy day, this idyllic scene unfolds, where vibrant, lush greenery blan...