M+B is pleased to present an exhibition of new paintings by Jonathan Casella. Doublestar is the artist's first show with the gallery and runs from April 24 through May 28, 2021, with an opening reception on Saturday, April 24 from noon to 6pm.
Jonathan Casella's paintings investigate the possibilities and relationships between color, pattern and form. The works are bold and graphic, imbued with playfulness and a pop sensibility. Casella employs an idiosyncratic visual syntax, combining it with his commanding use of color. His brilliantly hued works are built up from the canvas, the surfaces layered and textured, imitating the effect of collage.
Casella creates a sense of movement-the rhythm, meter and dance of life-in these works by superimposing simplified patterns and colors. Working within a set visual vocabulary, the repeating forms periodically divert and morph from the initial structure, serving as vessels of expression and visual experimentation. With this approach, each element offers a partial suggestion, allowing the whole to be viewed in collective terms. The artist also sometimes incorporates his name as a compositional motif.
The Doublestar series stems from Casella's desire to create a body of work that explores humanity without attending to direct representation. The form of the double star is the five-pointed star paired with its inverted self and can be seen as the symbol of body and spirit. Casella's Doublestars are embodiments of the ideal form, where body and soul are in unison. Serving as both symbol and formal device, they capture this union, along with the inflections and intimations of the contrasting hues and geometric elements.
Casella creates a sense of movement-the rhythm, meter and dance of life-in these works by superimposing simplified patterns and colors. Working within a set visual vocabulary, the repeating forms periodically divert and morph from the initial structure, serving as vessels of expression and visual experimentation. With this approach, each element offers a partial suggestion, allowing the whole to be viewed in collective terms. The artist also sometimes incorporates his name as a compositional motif.
The Doublestar series stems from Casella's desire to create a body of work that explores humanity without attending to direct representation. The form of the double star is the five-pointed star paired with its inverted self and can be seen as the symbol of body and spirit. Casella's Doublestars are embodiments of the ideal form, where body and soul are in unison. Serving as both symbol and formal device, they capture this union, along with the inflections and intimations of the contrasting hues and geometric elements.
Jonathan Casella (b. 1986, Houston, TX) holds a BA from San Francisco State University, CA. He has exhibited widely, including venues in Los Angeles, South Korea, Montreal and New York. This is his first exhibition with M+B. Jonathan Casella lives and works in Los Angeles.