RYAN KOHLER

July 22 – August 16

Artist Reception July 22,  5-7 PM

5 Chase Hill Rd. Kennebunk, Maine 04043

“Collage. is not a streamlined process, and it’s not practical,” says artist Ryan Kohler. “The upside is that I have clean shapes of pure color and exactly the shape I want.”

Kohler’s solo summer show will be open on July 22 on Maine Art Hill, 5 Chase Hill Road, Kennebunk. The gallery opens at 10 AM, and this show is available every day through August 16. Please note the artist is attending the opening reception from 5 to 7 PM on Saturday, July 22. All are welcome.

Ryan Kohler is a young Maine artist who works with many mediums. Acrylic led to the addition of collage, and now he is trying his process with oil. Even though Kohler finishes with collage, he is still a painter at heart.

“I spend a lot of time painting the initial colors, making sure my value structure and color design is as good as I can make it,” shares Kohler. “I respond to the painting a lot during this process. Some paintings want to be more painterly and loose, and others more graphic.”

Once he begins with collage elements, they look more illustrative. Kohler leans into this and uses it to his advantage.

“Once I have a quality, almost finished canvas, I move to the collage. The process and results are a bit like palette knife marks, except I have much more control,” he explains. “If I don’t like the piece I’ve just added to the painting, I simply remove it. I have a window of time before the glue permanently adheres the paper to the canvas, and even if I am beyond that window, I still have the option to continue gluing more paper to cover up. ”

It’s easy to say “good enough” when he is in the painting phase, but he always regrets it when it comes to the second step, collage. Each component added is like a revelation, revealing something that wasn’t as defined as before—the hull of a boat, a bird’s wing, the shadow’s edge. Sometimes it is necessary to walk back and forth from the easel after each piece, carefully observing how the painting changes from a distance.

“Sometimes that leads to the most interesting results. When layers and layers of paper are added to each other, especially something with patterns, it can look like mixed paint from a distance,” says Kohler. “I am always amazed at what each small step adds to the finished piece.”

This show is a must-see in person, and all are welcome to Maine Art Hill to visit. Again, the opening is Saturday, July 22, at 10 AM, with an artist reception from 5-7 that evening. The show runs until August 16 and is open daily at 10 AM. FMI 207-967-2803 or maine-art.com/shows.

Click to see the VIRTUAL TOUR.