Dion YANNATOS at Cross Contemporary Art
Dion Yannatos continues his investigation into the effects of light through the glazes of painterly mark making. Known for his large-scale canvases of woodlands, streams and rocks, Yannatos balances between reality and abstraction. As water receives its shape by the container it is in, Yannatos’ shimmering subject matter is tentatively bound by the reality of its form- but just barely. From a distance, the precise details of moss, rocks, streams and soil are distinct and clear but on close inspection, this illusion dissipates and the marks scatter into shimmering discrete brush strokes held together by the memory of the original narrative.
Art writer Raymond Steiner notes: “That (Yannatos) is sensitive to the mysterious energy of illusion inherent in the impact of light on the retina — that trick of nature to present vibrant atoms to our eyes as “trees,” “leaves,” or “earth” — is evident not only in the almost spasmodic handling of the brush, but also in the odd melding of color that he so successfully weaves into — not just a visual impression — but also a tactile one that is “felt” in one’s viscera.”
Dion Yannatos Solo Show on view from Apr 30, 6-8pm thru May 22, 2016
About Dion Yannnatos: Dion Yannatos has shown nationally in New York, New England and on the west coast including shows at the Bellevue Art Museum, the Tacoma Art Museum, the Bellingham Museum of Art, and at the Boise State Visual Arts Center as well as many galleries and exhibition venues. A recipient of the Jacob K. Javitts Fellowship as well as a W.W. Stout Fellowship and Gonzales Scholarship, Yannatos recieved his MFA from the University of Washington (’94) after a year at the Ecole Marchutz in Aix-en-Provence in France.
