Wave of Beautification

"Rococo" inspires visions of bric-a-brac and gorgeous clutter, a visual overload of fiddly bits and gilt. So why is painter Jerald Ieans' new exhibit entitled Waves and Rococo? Ieans works large, creating sinuous curves of paint that snake across the canvas in pink and orange. They're art-deco cool, not overwhelming in their detail — and that's the point of the whole title. Ocean waves look homogenous from a distance, a single mass of solid color. But up close they're complex skeins of hues layered and replicated, gradations in tone giving the appearance of a single color washing over you in an exorable rhythm. In Ieans' paintings the same is true, each painting seducing you to come closer and see the depths that lurk where the curves overlap and then separate again. Jerald Ieans: Waves and Rococo opens with a free public reception from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, May 29, at Hoffman LaChance Contemporary (2713 Sutton Boulevard, Maplewood; 314-960-5322 or www.hoffmanlachancefineart.com). Regular gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday, and the show remains up through Saturday, July 4.
Wednesdays-Saturdays. Starts: May 29. Continues through July 4, 2009