Paul Gobell Process Art Show at Stockman Gallery Feb. 7
By Frank E. Bradley | SPECIAL TO THE CITY JOURNAL at January 25, 2024 | 4:15 pm | Print
The Stockman Gallery at 19 Chestnut Street, second floor, in New Britain opens its latest show, “Paul Gobell: Process,” on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 5-7 p.m., with a free reception and an opportunity to meet the artist.
Gobell may be most well-known for meticulously crafted, large, surrealistic depictions of flowers. A selection of these are included in the show. Gobell also achieved some notoriety some years ago when he created his “George Bush Voo Doo Doll” that invited viewers to put a pin in the President. This piece was exhibited at the Art League of New Britain and was part of the Members Show at the New Britain Museum of American Art. Gobell, however, like all serious artists, is not content to rest on his laurels, no matter how beautifully he may be able to paint them. Gobell is a native of Simsbury and came to New Britain as an art student at CCSU in 1990. His work has been exhibited at the New Britain Museum of American Art, Masquerades in New Orleans, The Art League in New Britain and in numerous solo and group exhibitions. He is known for his surreal floral paintings created with tight translucent layers of oil paint. The current exhibition showcases his current work created in a much looser manner.
Four categories of Gobell’s work are featured in this show: fanciful florals, experimental landscapes, expressionistic experiments and drawings. The focus of the show is the artistic process and less the finished products. What holds all the works together is what Gobell refers to as his “. . . incessant need to observe things around him.” For Gobell, “Painting is like a dance between formal composition and happenstance.”
Exhibition curator, Stephen Hard, explains, “The show is intended to be mildly disconcerting and raise questions rather than answer them, because, frankly, Paul does not have settled answers for many of these questions. Gobell’s work is an adventure, a process, and as exciting to consider where he is headed as to view where he’s been.”
“Paul Gobell: Process” continues in Stockman Gallery through March 16. Regular Gallery hours are M-F 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information or to set up an appointment call 860-832-8299, or email [email protected]. or go to [email protected]
