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Fred GemmellChildhood Night Acrylic on Plexiglass 48” x 32”Californian artist Fred Gemmell hascreated an entirely new approachto abstract painting using the mediumof acrylic on glass. He spent an entireyear developing specialized techniqueswhereby the painting is composedin reverse as he applies paint to thebackside of special low-reflectivemuseum-caliber coated acrylics andglass. This grants viewers a unique viewthrough the clear surface of the glass tothe colors and forms that lie beneath.Gemmell effectively works backward ashe paints, composing the foregroundof the finished piece first and then laterapplying the final layers of colors meantto enhance the image as background. Ashe explains, “I try to capture with complexdetail and bold gestures the amazingdiversity and adaptability of life in all itsinteraction and beauty. I enjoy creatingabstract living forms that are bright andfeathered, and reflect the interwovencomplexity of life. I love using the toolsof composition, color and detail to createthe feeling of a luminous and unfoldingmystery.”Fred in his StudioInfluenced by a childhood spent inthe tropics of Panama and an ongoingfascination with the natural world,Gemmell’s paintings are vibrant in termsof color and form, illuminated by electriccolors and pulsing with energy and light.Vibrant ribbons of color are set againsta layered backdrop of detailed markingsand suggested forms that reflect theliving, breathing world that surrounds us.The resulting images feature otherworldlyvistas dominated by amorphous formsthat lend an almost celestial bent to theoverall effect. Yet simultaneously thereis a pervading presence of landscape,of solid form that grounds these abstractimages in something recognizable andfamiliar to our everyday world. Thisblending of otherworldly and familiarterrains results in compositions thatleave much to the viewer’s imaginationand compelling images that resonatewith each individual who encountersthem in new and unique ways.www.gemmellstudio.comwww.Agora-Gallery.com/ArtistPage/Fred_Gemmell.aspxRizumu (Rhythm 2)Acrylic on Plexiglass 72” x 42”66 ARTisSpectrum