Marking Time | New Works by Robert McAn : in the Great Gallery

Marking Time by Robert McAn brings forth the artist’s newest oil paintings and monotypes. This new work continues the artist’s exploration of the intersection between painting and photography. For the exhibition, McAn establishes the canvas ground with painterly photographic imagery. In contrast, the surface layer of the work in oil stick mimics the underlying structure of digital photography with its color blocks and pixels. Rapid and unique hand-painted monotypes are also exhibited as multiple and individual artworks.

Regarding his practice and new work, McAn says, “After printing painterly photographs on canvas, I then apply oil stick in color blocking and pixel patterns. This combination of techniques highlights and magnifies the significance of foreground and background in visual representation. The work in Marking Time is also influenced by the early stages of the pandemic. During isolation and home-bound, my repeated visuals were hanging family quilts and monotypes I created in high school. Late-pandemic creativity now explores a new type of image quilting and technique weaving and a newfound love for the creative freedom of monotypes."

About Robert McAn

McAn holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting and photography from the University of North Texas, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from North Texas State University. McAn is Head of Donor Relations, Membership, and Special Events at the Kimbell Art Museum (since 1994). He was assistant director of Barry Whistler Gallery in Dallas and president of 500X Gallery in Dallas from 1991-to 94. In addition, he served as an adjunct professor of photography at Austin College in Sherman, Texas (1993-1994). His work has been widely exhibited and is included in public and private collections worldwide. He lives and works In Fort Worth, Texas.