The precisely detailed still-life paintings of Jeremiah Patterson are so realistic that the viewer often mistakes them for photographs. Patterson finds his inspiration in certain themes that he finds in Italian Renaissance or Flemish paintings. “I may touch on these timeless themes, but I do so by revealing them in a contemporary, modern, and realistic way.” The Massachusetts artist’s work will be on display at the Sue and Eugene Mercy Jr. Gallery located in the Richmond Art Center on the campus of The Loomis Chaffee School from November 6 through December 6.
Patterson is an admirer of the Dutch and Flemish masters and his contemporary reworking of everyday objects in both watercolor and egg tempura is designed to appear as if the viewer just happened upon everything that is there. “I arrange my settings to feel comfortable that the positions, poses and subjects seem natural, possible, and realistic. In this way, I also avoid overt fantasy and work hard to find the fine point between idealizing a form and the gritty realization of its minute details,” he noted. “In both watercolor and egg tempera, I love the indirect process involved in painting, working one color over another to add richness, complexity, and luminosity to the whole work.”
Patterson’s work has been selected for a variety of prestigious group exhibition surveys of contemporary realism & representational art including the highly respected exhibitions titled, Representing Representation V & Representing Representation VI held biennially at the Arnot Art Museum in Elmira NY. His work has also been included in over 90 group exhibitions throughout the United States and resides in more than 100 private and corporate collections. A cum laude graduate of the University of Massachusetts, he works and lives in South Deerfield, MA. He received his MFA in painting from the University of Hartford, where he currently teaches painting and drawing as an Associate Professor of Foundations.
There will be an opening reception on Tuesday, November 6, from 6:45–8:45 p.m. The public is invited to attend the opening reception and view the exhibitions during regular gallery hours. The Sue and Eugene Mercy, Jr. Gallery is located in the Richmond Art Center on the campus of The Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Connecticut. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7:30– 9 p.m. and Sunday afternoon from 1– 4 p.m. There is no admission charge. Please note that the gallery is closed during school vacations. For additional information, call the Richmond Art Center Information Line, 860-687-6030 or visit www.mercygallery.org.
