October 25 - November 30, 2002

Barrier / Space

JEFF KELLAR SCULPTURE AT GALLERY JOE

Philadelphia, PA – Gallery Joe is pleased to announce an exhibition of sculpture by Jeff Kellar. Barrier/Space opens on Friday, October 25. Gallery Joe will show Barrier/Space in the Front Gallery along with line drawings by Linn Meyers in the Vault Gallery. Both shows continue through November 30, 2002. There will be an opening reception for the artists on Friday evening, October 25 from 5:30-7:30 P.M.

In the past, Kellar’s work has often combined the three elements of surface, light, and space. In his last show, Corridors and Compartments, Kellar focused on the interior and exterior spaces of his sculptures inviting viewers to peer inside and study the lush surfaces of the structures. In Barrier/Space Kellar is exploring the limit or barrier of a sculpture within a space. The three dimensional structure in these works is reduced to a minimum while surface and light become dominant. Of this body of work Kellar states:

These sculptures depict space and barriers to that space. They are about time and light. They are about restraint and absence of restraint The wall pieces are about illusionary space, but they are sculptures, not paintings. They may be sculptures of paintings. The space in front of the sculpture is as important as the illusionary space within the sculpture. Still, for a sculptor, these are fairly flimsy materials. Pinned up, they speak of temporariness, not of the permanence of sculpture. They shift the emphasis from their own materiality to the perceptive vision of the viewer. And that is ultimately where I want the emphasis. I usually notice the objectness of art first, and then I’m often overwhelmed by the illusion contained within the art. It is the combination of these reactions, a bringing together of mind and body that brings me the pleasure that I am pursuing.

Kellar was born and raised in Philadelphia where he began his artistic career at the Fleisher Art Memorial. He earned a BA from the University of Pennsylvania in 1971. He lives and works in Falmouth, Maine with his wife Judy and daughter, Anna.

Barrier/Space is Kellar’s third solo show at Gallery Joe. Other recent exhibitions include the Institute of Contemporary Art at the Maine College of Art in Portland and a solo show at Icon Gallery in Brunswick, ME. Kellar’s sculpture is in the permanent collections of the Farnsworth Museum of Art, the Portland Museum of Art, and the University of Maine. His public commissions include Percent for the Arts projects for the Skowhegan District Courthouse, Freeport School System, and Kennebunk School System. He is a 1996 recipient of the Individual Artist fellowship in the State of Maine.

There will be an opening reception for the artists on Friday evening, October 25 from 5:30-7:30 P.M. The show will continue through November 30, 2002. Regular gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday 12 - 5:30, other days by appointment. For additional information contact Becky Kerlin, 215.592.7752, FAX 215.238.6923, email mail@galleryjoe.com or visit our web site at www.galleryjoe.com