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MarksNew Works by Aaron Nagel
Opening Reception: March 6th, 2010, from 7-11 pm.
Show runs through: March 27th, 2010, and is open to the public.
The Shooting Gallery is proud to present Marks: New Works by Aaron Nagel. This
exhibition is a reaction to organized religion, using lusty women to symbolize a new
order of saints. Please join us for the opening reception of Marks on Saturday, March
6th, 2010, from 7-11 pm.
Marks is Aaron Nagelʼs largest and most cohesive body of work to date. The eleven oil
paintings in this series use imagery of youthful women in the nude, often impaled by
archery arrows. These figures embody Catholic martyrs such as St. Sebastian, offering
atheists and skeptics an alternative to traditional religious symbolism. Although the
women are naked and impaled their facial expression and body language is unaffected.
Standing tall with transfixed eyes, the figuresʼ hands are often dripping with black paint
to represent a guilty and nefarious past. As Aaron is inspired by the contrast between
power and the fragility of the human body, Marks is infused with imagery that is at once
calm and violent.
A large part of Nagelʼs process is to seek out a model with a distinct look and
demeanor. Because he is so selective with his models, he tends to use each one in
several different paintings. Aaron photographs the women in his own home studio, later
inserting text or graphic elements in a digital comp. He then meticulously lays down the
line work onto canvas, taking measurements to ensure that the composition is balanced.
The oil paint is then applied in thin layers to reveal a warm, highly rendered figure and
stark background. Although self-taught, Nagel has developed a regimented painting
process that shows a strong visual bond between his finished works.
Within the past year, this Oakland based artist has exhibited in Floridaʼs Redletter 1
Gallery and San Francsicoʼs D-Structure. Nagel is also the man behind Two Twenty
Two Design Studio, a web design firm that he founded in 2003.
Please join us for the opening reception of Marks: New Works by Aaron Nagel on
Saturday, March 6th, 2010, from 7-11pm. The exhibit will be on view through March 27th,
2010, and is open to the public.
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