Born in 1970 in New Haven, CT, the artist has gone on to be a dominant force in the international art world, as well as a solid figure in the Manhattan art scene, presently having his works showcased and distributed through the Acquavella Gallery alongside such masters as Picasso and Bacon. This seemingly meteoric rise to fame in such a short time frame is justified and understood when one takes a look at the created works of the artist, works that e
xhibit a striking blend of realism with that of artistic talent and manipulation of media. Paint is used in ways that bring out photorealistic qualities in the subjects through precise detail work and shadow/tonal gradiation. The resulting work is a painting of striking realistic feel that also evokes memories and emotional responses from the viewer due to the subject matter,angle, or composition of the piece.
The piece to the right entitled "On The Beach" shows a swimmer walking towards the waves of a tropical beach, yet does so from the voyeuristic point view of observation at a distance. The field of vision is broken up by a screen through which the viewer is concealed behind, thus leading the viewer to come up with his own assumptions of the relationship between the two figures and also giving a sense of security and safety.
This same vantage point is shown in the paint
ing entitled "Darling", where a female figure is glimpsed through a crack of a door with only a sliver of the figure exposed. Through this eclipsed and limited exposure of the subject, a very voyeuristic and unsettling feeling is lent to the image, leading one to wonder whether the female is aware of the secondary presence in her space.
The image to the left entitled "Deliverance", possesses an opposite quality. A pair of jean-clad female legs are set against the image of a
Towncar silhouetted against a mountain sky. This image, while suggesting expansiveness and the boundless freedom of the western sky, actually made me feel confined due to both the subjects and the arrangement of the imagery. While the freedom is suggested, an escapism and urgency also seemed to be present in the image, one that I was not sure was beginning or ending due to the presence of the individual outside the car rather than inside. Is this woman leaving something behind, or arriving at her desired destination?
This psychological play also happened for me with the painting entitled "Being There" in which a girl is seen walking across a night backdrop of lights and a city across a body of water. Had she just come across this scene and chosen to watch the hum of the night city from viewpoint in passing, or was she observing from a safe distance a city that had a meaning to her and memories attatched to it?
Throughout time, art has been used as a form of expression that can invoke feelings and emotions as well as be symbolic and expressive. From the cave paintings of Lascaux symbolizing the hunt-filled dreams of the primitive men and women that painted them, to the works of Jackson Pollock expressing a state of emergency and energy, the medium of paint has been harnessed to control or influence the inner workings of man's mind and what drives him. I believe that Loeb's works accomplish this as well, and do so in a way that both inspires deeper thinking and reflection while also providing a visually appealing sight to the art observer looking for a little more than just a pretty picture to hang on the wall.
-Stephen Fisher-
For more information on Damian Loeb or his works, please visit the following sites.
www.DamianLoeb.com
www.AcquaVellaGalleries.com
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