"Oversized, over-stroked, and beautifully indulgent, the work, Lotus Eater, symbolizes the exhibition"
The exhibition Lotus Eater is the latest body of work by Dallas artist Nic Mathis. A self-taught talent, Mathis' foray into the art world began as a skateboard enthusiast with a love for street culture and a sketchbook filled with pen and ink drawings. In 2019, Mathis debuted his first solo exhibition at the Erin Cluley Gallery, titled "Memory Screen", featuring a series of drawings, paintings, and aforementioned sketchbooks.
Now, Lotus Eater, his second solo exhibition in Dallas, steps away from the comfortable accomplishments of years passed and dives deep into the spontaneity of abstract expressionism. In this exhibition, he considers the opulence of grandeur and the luxury of indulging heavy brushwork strokes on oversized recycled canvases using acrylic, ink and spray paint.
As an outsider artist, this series of paintings punctuate Mathis' skills forward, provoking a provocative yet instinctive sense of unashamed emotional intelligence. With lashings of paint, bright colors peek and protrude through the extravagant darkness formulating a sense of lightness from despair. Oversized, over-stroked, and beautifully indulgent, the work, Lotus Eater, symbolizes the exhibition, capturing a dichotomy of extravagance and pleasure without consideration for pragmatic purpose. Heavy layers of paint with textile-type techniques accentuate the texture of brushstrokes, suggesting the expressionism of emotion through detail, volume and color, showcasing a brave sense of intimacy.
The exhibition also presents detailed paper and ink drawings, highlighting Mathis' fine penmanship and contrasting his skill set from broad brushstrokes to intimate lines.
In addition to the online exhibition, select works are shown at The Penthouse via private appointments. Please send an email inquiry for details on these works and to make an appointment.