Date: Saturday, December 7th, 2024
Time: 3 PM to 5 PM
Location: Lightspace Gallery, International Art Museum of America

Artist Statement: In this solo exhibition, Samuel Perry presents a dynamic series of large abstract paintings on unprimed canvas. Embracing the rawness of the material, the works explore the tension between control and spontaneity. The absence of priming allows the canvas to breathe, absorbing materials in unpredictable ways that blur the line between artist and surface, intention and chance.

These abstract forms invite viewers to engage with color, texture, and movement in a direct, visceral manner. The unprimed canvas becomes a partner in the creative process, allowing the natural flow and absorption of paint to dictate parts of the composition. Through layering, sweeping gestures, and an intuitive approach, the works evoke a sense of freedom and vulnerability, echoing the organic and often chaotic nature of human emotion and experience.

This body of work challenges the traditional boundaries of painting, placing emphasis on the material’s interaction with the medium and creating a conversation between absence and presence, exposure and concealment. Each piece is a reflection of the artist’s ongoing exploration of abstraction, where meaning emerges through the process rather than through representation.