The Linda Hodges Gallery presents new work by this important west coast painterChester Arnold. Born in California but raised in Germany, Arnold was influenced by the German
Romantic painters, particularly Caspar David Friedrich and Albrecht
Altdorfer. Additionally, Arnold's admiration for the techniques used by the
the Old Masters and an interest in historically significant paintings
played an important part in his development. Arnold believes in the
importance of the sensitivity and touch of the individual. He builds his
canvas supports by hand and uses his own process and formula for creating
the ground for his paintings. An appreciation for craftsmanship that began
in his childhood infuses all of Arnold's paintings with a deeply personal
element.
"The opening of my first paint box at the age of 16 was the opening of a
life..." States California based Chester Arnold as he describes the theme for
his second painting exhibition at the Linda Hodges Gallery. The focus of
Arnold's new paintings are the objects in his studio, and through them, he
examines the transformative power of Art. A boot; old canvases turned to the
wall, a painter's workbench of half-squeezed paint tubes, these are some of
the tableaus in Arnolds new work. Each represents the life of an artist as
told through his "homage to this art and craft."
Sometimes referred to as a "narrative realist," Arnold is noted for
combining a contemporary viewpoint with his knowledge of European painting
history and technique, resulting in work of appreciable craftsmanship and
sophistication. He was born in Santa Monica, California but raised in
Germany, where he was influenced by the style of the Old Masters. Arnold
returned to California in the 70's where he received an M.F.A. from the San
Francisco Art Institute in 1987. In 1996 Arnold received a Western States
Arts Federation/National Endowment for the Arts Grant. The Tacoma Art Museum
in Tacoma, Washington, featured Arnold's work in an exhibition titled "Urban
Invasion" in 2002.
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