Doug Madill, The Colgate Clock, Jersey City, 2017, oil on canvas, 13 x 20 inches.
SILVERMAN
and
The Majestic Theatre Condominium Association
presents
Doug Madill: Painting Jersey City
March 2, 2018 – June 30, 2018
Opening Reception: Friday March 2, 2018, 6-8pm
The Majestic Theatre Condominiums
222 Montgomery Street
Jersey City, NJ 07302
201.435.8000
SILVERMAN and The Majestic Theatre Condominium Association presents “Doug Madill : Painting Jersey City,” a selection of new works in oil and acrylic by “plein air” (outdoor, direct observation) painter Doug Madill of the local landmarks, parks, and street scenes of Jersey City, drawing out the remarkable from the recognizable, highlighting the joy and artistry of our everyday surround, curated by Enrico Gomez.
“Painting Jersey City” offers a broad selection of new works from artist Doug Madill that focus primarily on the subject matter of day-to-day scenes within the environs of Jersey City, New Jersey. Encompassing street vistas, local landmarks, night scenes, and other recognizable haunts, the subject matter choices of painter Doug Madill are sourced primarily from his explorations of various Jersey City neighborhoods. These local perambulations are carried out on foot and when Madill finds a scene or object of interest in his travels, a painting is then executed on site, usually entirely “en plein air” which is a French term meaning “painted out of doors and from direct observation”.
The tradition of “plein air” painting has existed for centuries but was made more possible by the modernization of oil paint packaging (paint compressed into easily transportable, hand-held tubes) and the production of collapsible, mobile painting easels in the mid 19th Century. At the forefront of the painterly concerns of European Impressionists, specifically due to their interest in the ephemeral qualities of natural light, the practice of making art out of doors has also been undertaken by The Ashcan School, The Hudson River School, and many other artists throughout the long history of realist painting.
The environment outside the artist’s studio holds many benefits for the creative artisan looking for inspiration, including the ability to observe first hand the changing qualities of sunlight and how these qualities influence a visual reading of form in space. From the diffused glow of an overcast day to the allure and mystery of evening light, these same gifts can become challenges to the artist who must work quickly to capture them whilst also avoiding impediments to their task including inclement weather and gusting winds. Animals, street traffic and passersby can also add to the list of potential complications to the artist who is making work in a prototypically urban, outdoor environment. All of these gains, difficulties, and more have been experienced by accomplished local plein air painter Doug Madill. By taking on his home city as his primary inspiration, he traces both well-worn streets and newer developments within the general confines of Jersey City, NJ. Recently named “Most Livable City in America” by Elle Décor Magazine, the expansive subject matter of Madill’s artworks is vibrant, striking and ever changing. The artist captures these recent changes and favorite landmarks with confidence, in assured brushwork both loose and steady on its mark.
The artist shares that he began the practice of plein air painting on the rooftops of the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY where he pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with a Major in Painting. He continued this practice during his summers away from University in the rural environs of his then hometown of Bainbridge, Ohio. Though his painting practice is diverse, encompassing line drawing, gestural abstraction, and surrealism, it is the genre of Realism, the endeavor of painting scenes observed in real life, that he returns to most often. On what inspires and drives him forward, the artist shares, “… a curiosity to discover something, or perhaps unlock a new expression in our view of the ordinary world.”
Born in Winfield, Illinois, Doug Madill received his BFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. He has exhibited at numerous venues including Novado Gallery, Jersey City, NJ, The National Arts Club, New York, NY, The Drawing Rooms, Jersey City, NJ, CPW Gallery, New York, NY, 107 Bowers Gallery and Artspace, Jersey City, NJ and many more. He is in numerous private collections in California, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and more. The artist lives and works in Jersey City, New Jersey.
The exhibition will remain on view at The Majestic through June 30th, 2018. For further information, please visit us at SILVERMAN or call (201) 435-8000. The exhibition is on view during regular business hours and by appointment. To schedule a viewing, please call: (917) 719-1447 or contact thedoradoproject@gmail.com. The Majestic Theatre Condominiums are located at 222 Montgomery Street in Jersey City, NJ.
“Doug Madill : Painting Jersey City” is the eleventh exhibition that artist/curator Enrico Gomez will organize for SILVERMAN. For additional information on the exhibiting artist Doug Madill, please visit: madillstudio.com. For additional information on the curator, please visit: enricogomez.com and thedoradoproject.com.
SILVERMAN has presented the works of Bruce Stiglich, Deborah Freedman, Pete Hocking, Gretchen Kummer McGinnis, Larry Wolhandler, Barbara Friedman, Michael Steinbrick, Jeanne Tremel, Eliot Markell, Debra Drexler, Mark Van Wagner, Rob Ventura, Robert Hendrickson, Sarah Becktle, Kati Vilim, Mark Dagley, Candy Le Sueur, Ed Fausty, Anna Mogilevsky, Ali Harrington, Sara Wolfe, Anne Percoco, Shauna Finn, Melanie Vote, Paul Lempa, Fanny Allié, Michael Meadors, John A. Patterson, Charlotte Becket, Roger Sayre, Karina Aguilera Skvirsky, Tom McGlynn, Margaret Murphy, Valeri Larko, Tenesh Webber, Glenn Garver, Jennifer Krause Chapeau, Michelle Doll, Tim Heins, Megan Maloy, Laurie Riccadonna, Thomas John Carlson, Tim Daly, Ann Flaherty, Scott Taylor, Jason Seder, Sara Wolfe, Beth Gilfilen, Andrzej Lech, Hiroshi Kumagai, Victoria Calabro, Asha Ganpat, Darren Jones, Ryan Roa, Laura Napier, Risa Puno, Nyugen E. Smith, Amanda Thackray, and Kai Vierstra.
(PATH to GROVE St stop: PATH Trains from WTC, 33rd St, 23rd St, 14th St, 9th St, and Christopher St)
Doug Madill : Painting Jersey City at SILVERMAN’s The Majestic Theatre Condominiums (222 Montgomery Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302) will be a part of JC Fridays (https://www.jcfridays.com) a self-guided, quarterly, free city-wide arts tour boasting events and arts exhibitions in every one of Jersey City’s vibrant and diverse neighborhoods. For more information, please visit: https://www.jcfridays.com
