William King Museum of Art is pleased to present a new body of work by regionally renowned artist Charles Goolsby in the new exhibition “Points of Departure”.
Charles Goolsby paints landscapes incorporating a variety of influences from Thomas Cole to George Bellows to Cy Twombly. Combining expressionistic brushwork with a faithful representation of his subject, he transforms the quotidian scene of the gas station or the railyard into a heightened psychological drama, emphasizing the contrast between the industrial and the natural in the landscape. This new series of paintings will depict scenes from various moments in the artist’s travels in the region and beyond, with an emphasis on the strangeness and beauty of the industrial form as well as their uncanny nature as alien architectures in a worldly landscape.
A longtime professor at Emory and Henry University where he was awarded the Agnes and Allen Rowlett Chair of Creative Studies, Charles Goolsby’s career has led him to travel to overseas destinations such as Italy, France, Greece and China. He has won multiple awards and residencies including the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Visual Arts Fellowship, and has had his paintings featured in “New American Paintings” magazine. Now working as an artist full-time, he continues to expand a theme which centers his practice: the dynamics and dramas of a shifting landscape.
“Points of Departure” is a William King Museum of Art original exhibition and is part of the museum’s McGlothlin Exhibition Series. A special thank you to our Annual Sponsors: Ballad Health Johnston Memorial Hospital and BurWil Construction Company.
Curator’s Commentary
“Charles Goolsby’s work is not only concerned with the landscape (how we live in it, how we see it, and above all how we change it) it is also interacting with and responding to a long line of American landscape painters. Charles’ painting style takes advantage of the physicality of oil paint, depicting the world around him, but leaving traces of his arm. This, according to Charles, allows for the picture to emerge out of and disappear into the paint. In this way, he is treading the line between what W.J.T Mitchell would call “The Image” and “The Object”– we see the image of a house, but the object is a mass of pigment and linseed oil on canvas.
What viewers will be surprised to learn is how much Charles’ work interacts with, and responds to photography – armed with a digital camera, he is an avid documenter of the places he goes to, taking multiple shots in order to find the best way to translate the image into that physical thing that is paint. The challenge he places before himself is to conjure up, out of this collection of moments, a real sense of the physicality of the place he depicts.”
– Russell Facemire, Curator of Fine Art & Worrell Collection of Wildlife Art
Related events:
Members, Lenders, and Special Guests Reception*
Wednesday, April 1st, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Join us for a special early viewing of “Points of Departure!” Members can get the first look at the exhibition, enjoy a variety of refreshments provided by A-Z Catering, and connect with the artist and the curators!
Tours at Four | FREE Public Tour | Friday, April 3rd, 4:00pm-5:00pm
Join artist Charles Goolsby and curator Russell Facemire for a free public tour of the exhibition– get insights into the process of creation, the artist’s inspirations and the stories behind each work. How does an abandoned plane in a field in North Carolina end up as a multi-canvas artwork? Find out with us!
Members’ Morning* | Wednesday, April 8th, 10:00am-11:00am
Join Charles Goolsby for a special presentation on his work while sampling coffee and pastries from “The Girl and the Raven”– get a more in-depth look at Charles’ career, his approach to painting, and his thoughts on art!
RSVP required for all events by emailing rsvp@wkmuseum.org.
*Member only events. To become a member visit www.williamkingmuseum.org/become-a-member.
