Art Exhibit
   Today is February 9, 2010

Beginning January 5, 2005 in the Warwick Center Gallery (Lobby)

“Paintings and Monotypes” By Artist Gary Eyster “Paintings and Monotypes,” a new exhibit showcasing large oil and acrylic paintings on canvas and monotype prints by local artist Gary Eyster, begins January 12 and runs through March 9 in UNCW’s Warwick Center Gallery. The opening reception will be held Wednesday, January 12 from 5-7 p.m., and light hors d’oeuvres will be served. Both the exhibit and reception are free and open to the public. The exhibit is presented by UNCW Presents cultural arts program. Gary Eyster creates expressive paintings from a blank canvas with no preconceived ideas, where tools and materials are his inspiration. His work is self-described as “lateral thinking,” a style of painting that does not reflect any one particular style, but rather a general attitude; not all the work is abstract, nor is it all expressive. Individuality and spontaneous improvisation is valued most in his work and this is best reflected in his methodology and process to creating art. The artist employs the technique of “free form color” that makes use of unconventional painting tools while relying very little on the brush. Some of the unusual tools introduced into the painting process include plungers, squeegees, open wide mouth jars and squeeze bottles. These tools permit the artist to work large scale and to obtain painterly effects that he has never achieved before. Featured work in the exhibition includes the use of various processes and mediums. Some paintings have been created using oil paint primarily with use of a window squeegee, while others were formed by the influence of Chaos Theory, having been painted with more fluid acrylic paint, and sometimes with the addition of acrylic foam. Additionally, some of the monotype prints were created using a homemade, four foot-wide, producing one of a kind prints. The monotypes were printed on one-eighth inch plastic sheets. Still other monotypes were printed using a shallow pool of plain water on which oil paint was floated. The paint was moved about on the surface until a suitable design was achieved, then printing paper picked up an image from a selected area of the water surface. Gary Eyster received a master’s in fine arts from Virginia Commonwealth University. He has also studied at the Ecole de l’Art et Publicite, Paris France and the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London, England. Mr. Eyster was formerly the director for the New Hanover County Museum, now known as Cape Fear Museum, and was also a founding member of the Lower Cape Fear Council for the Arts. He has won numerous awards including a Certificate of Distinction at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts 19th Biennial Exhibition. Originally from York, Pennsylvania, he currently resides in Wilmington, NC. To view samples of the artists’ work or for featured titles in the exhibition, please visit our website at www.uncw.edu/arts. The Warwick Center is open Monday through Friday 7a.m. – 11p.m., Saturdays 10a.m. – 11p.m., and Sundays 1p.m. – 11p.m. For more information, please contact the UNCW Presents at 910.962.3827.