Wentrup is pleased to present "rapt glittery beguile awhile" – John McAllister's fourth solo exhibition with the gallery and his first show at the Venice location.
The American painter is known for his vibrant and evocative works that draw inspiration from the rich traditions of Post-Impressionism and Fauvism. His paintings are characterized by their bold use of color, intricate patterns, and a lush, almost tropical sensibility. His work often features landscapes, still lifes, and interiors that evoke a sense of timeless beauty and serene contemplation. McAllister's unique style results in immersive visual experiences that celebrate the interaction of light and color.
With his recent paintings like awed awhile flashing rapt or harbors afar havens call, the artist is returning to a motive he was already deeply fascinated by in the 2000s— fire. The renewed interest in this subject came from recent events we are all surrounded by and responding to, such as the general political chaos in the world and the worldwide forest fires in the summer. The world is literally on fire, both physically and mentally.
John McAllister considers fire as a landscape. For him, fire became a “fifth season” of the year, and with every season’s change, the landscape changes as well—the colors, the flowers, the light. And in all its danger and unpredictability, there is also something beautiful about fire. It has bright shades of yellow, warm reds, and oranges. The flames flicker and move in organic shapes in a kind of impressionistic dance. One can look at it for hours and get absorbed in it, almost looking through the flames. We cannot look away. In the same way, one can get absorbed by looking at a landscape painting. We immerse ourselves in the view across the lake, focusing on individual flowers and plants. Our thoughts fly away.
And here, it’s the inherent contradiction of the painting itself that you look at it and into it at the same time. You look at the oil paint on the surface, but you can actually look through it, and a beautiful landscape opens up in front of your eyes. Even in the static character of a painting, McAllister’s fires seem to dance. Their full bodies move over the canvas and bathe the surroundings in powerful, bright light. McAllister’s landscape paintings reflect on the medium painting itself. They rethink and reconsider the genre of landscape painting and, in this context, are also a commentary on the progressing climate change.
These new, bright yellow tones also enter McAllister’s only still life in the exhibition— flares flaunt after dusk haunt. Still lifes are a perfect way for an easy escape. They can immediately transport you somewhere else by looking at it. A colorful bouquet with exotic flowers next to a sliced lemon and a glass with a fresh drink; the wristwatch on the dresser, some burnt matches, and behind the window, the sun is shimmering on the water. A still life is quite accomplished at addressing themes filled with weight and melancholy while maintaining an air of delight and frivolity. It brings the beauty of nature indoors, and at the same time, it captures our entire life and existence. The objects depicted are carriers of multiple symbols; the blooming bouquet of flowers will wither in a few days; the sun will set, and the next day will dawn. Themes such as transience resonate here. By conveying meaning in a variety of ways, a still life has the ability to fluently overcome language and cultural barriers.
But after all, a painting can also simply offer us a moment of stillness in our turbulent world. By letting our gaze wander over it, a window opens up, through which we can drift away into yet another world.
John McAllister was born in 1973 in Slidell, Louisiana. He lives and works in Florence, Massachusetts. Recent institutional group exhibitions include "Still Life" at Kunsthalle Emden in Germany and "Garden. The Possibility of Life" at the museum HAB in Budapest.