Jimmy Keller, with “Bronco,” which consists of three individual panels that help create the feeling of actually standing in the landscape. As the viewer moves, how the painting is perceived shifts as well.
“The root question was not ‘How can I paint a piece that looks like the American West,’ but rather ‘How can I portray the experience of standing in the open land through painting.’”
That was the challenge Jimmy Keller, a senior from South Dayton, NY, majoring in Visual Arts and New Media: Sculpture, accepted when he created “Bronco,” a layered painting now on display in the selective Southern Tier Biennial in Olean, NY. Quite a distinction for the 2020 Gowanda High School graduate, as works by established/career artists – not students – are most-often chosen.
“I was very excited,” Mr. Keller said of having his painting placed in the Southern Tier Biennial. “In the past I’ve been in school exhibitions here on campus, but this being outside of campus is very exciting.”
Keller indicated “Bronco,” a multi-piece painting he made last semester in ARTS 214: Drawing and Painting II, was inspired by influential British artist David Hockney.
“The piece is meant to capture the openness of land in the American West. I broke down the rules of traditional landscape painting to then create a piece that is more realistic not necessarily in appearance, but in experience. The goal was to create an experience through painting that is not stagnant nor constricted in a box,” according to Keller’s artistic statement.
Having one’s own artwork displayed in the biennial is a distinction that places Keller in exclusive company: Just 51 pieces from 36 artists were accepted from among the 157 artists who entered over 400 works of art. Keller also attended the reception and awards ceremony held Sept. 16. The exhibition at the Tri-County Arts Council’s Peg Bothner Gallery, 110 W. State St., Olean, NY, will continue through Nov. 4.
“What impresses me about the painting is that Jimmy has taken his 3D sensibilities as a sculptor and used those in a medium (painting) that is traditionally two-dimensional,” said Department of Visual Arts and New Media Associate Professor Peter Tucker. “Before submitting his piece for the exhibition, he welded a new, beautifully designed steel structure to hold the painted panels in place.”
Through this piece, Keller is engaging with the concept of environmental preservation.
“How can we layer the ever-changing demands of our society with the beautiful landscapes around us? This question came in part from a recent trip out west to Sedona, AZ, in addition to growing up in a rural community. The main purpose of this piece and the current pieces I am working on is: How can the viewer experience these pieces with the intent of answering these questions themselves," the artist’s statement continues.
Keller plans to expand on the application of layering techniques in some of his new pieces.
“For instance, a piece I am working on currently uses some similar layers to recreate an abstract landscape but I am using sheets of steel. This allows experimentation with various types of rust as an element of time as well, something I couldn't get with just paint alone,” Keller explained.
“As an artist, I am always pushing further. What can be expanded on? What can be bigger? How can I develop this concept further? For me, that is unavoidable as an artist to constantly be chasing ideas to the next level.” – Jimmy Keller
“As an artist, I am always pushing further. What can be expanded on? What can be bigger? How can I develop this concept further? For me, that is unavoidable as an artist to constantly be chasing ideas to the next level.”
A transfer from SUNY Erie (formerly known as Erie Community College), Keller received the George W. Booth Visual Arts Scholarship, a Visual Arts and New Media department scholarship, for 2023-2024. He is a learning assistant in a woodworking class taught by Mr. Tucker, and was recently named a student ambassador in the department.
“Ever since Jimmy arrived on campus, he has worked diligently to use his skills and learn new skills to expand his knowledge base and in doing so, he has created some really lovely sculptures. He continues to work hard, to question constantly, to read and explore in order to become a better artist, and it is a joy to witness,” Tucker said.
“Can you tell I think this kid is amazing? He really is a treat to work with,” Tucker remarked.
Keller is exploring graduate sculptural programs at Rochester Institute of Technology and the University of Tennessee.
The Southern Tier Biennial provides rural artists with the opportunity to take part in a highly regarded show. Every two years, artists from across the Southern Tier region submit their work to be juried by a new panel of top art professionals. The result is a stunning array of work showing the vitality of the visual arts in rural New York.
More information about the biennial is available online
