Join Asheville School for the Opening Reception of “Something to Hide” in the John M. Crawford Art Gallery

Join the Asheville School Fine Arts Department on Thursday, August 22, for the opening of Asheville artist Jeff Kinzel’s exhibition, “Something to Hide.” The public opening will be in the Walker Arts Center’s John M. Crawford Art Gallery from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. (see map).

Kinzel is a longtime artist and educator, and he says that “Something to Hide” offers viewers the chance to experience the act of seeing.

“People will often say, ‘It’s right in front of your nose,’ or ‘It’s obvious: you should be able to see it,” Kinzel writes. “But the act of seeing takes some work. In art, the discoveries are often more subtle and less bold: the right amount of shadow to create the illusion of depth and mood, or the layering of paint to create tension between values to make the flesh come alive.”

Kinzel works with foil on canvas so that his works may change with the varying angles of light and quality of illumination. “Shapes emerge and recede, appearing as positive space and then as negative space as the light changes,” he says. “The perception of the work is contingent on the light in which it is seen.”

“Kinzel’s work is unlike anything we have ever exhibited,” says John M. Crawford Gallery Curator Casey Arbor. “The care and attention he takes when layering foil shows in his artwork. With forms emerging and vanishing, the viewer has the pleasure of experiencing an entirely different image with varying perspectives and light. This exhibition is a must-see as photographic reproductions only capture a fraction of what the artwork has to offer.”

Raised in New York, Kinzel pursued his initial art studies at the Arts Student’s League, The National Academy and as a studio assistant to painter Ellsworth Kelly. His works have been featured in exhibitions abroad, as well as in New York, Iowa and North Carolina. He has had solo shows in Castiglione del Lago, Italy, and at the Black Mountain Arts Center in North Carolina.

“Something to Hide” will hang in the John M. Crawford Art Gallery until Saturday, September 14. Gallery hours are Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. All guests should check-in in Mitchell Hall.