Crooked Timber

Curated by Kristopher Michael Wright & Corianne Wells (Odessa)
Presented by RedLine Contemporary Art Center, Denver CO.

On View June 30 - July 28, 2017

Crooked Timber investigates the relationship between human beings and the Earth; deconstructing the paradoxes between self and place. Brian Napier's sculptural works draw parallels between natural objects and societal growth. The making of these objects is a disruption of the natural processes which the work examines. And in this way, the exhibition space serves as an open casket to what was, and a monument to the eternal. Napier’s paintings take this approach by way of quasi-classical still life. Incorporating subtle elements of design and color blocking, the artist shrouds the figure in plastic, employing a sense of quiet unrest and dread in a stunning juxtaposition of skeletal forms; reflecting on death, time, and debris.

Brian Napier arrived in Colorado by way of California in 2012. He has an extensive exhibition history comprised of solo, group, and collaborative exhibitions across Colorado, Minnesota, and California. Napier’s work has been featured in Westword, Garro, Foothills, and Odessa. Deconstructing the origins of environmental philosophies, his work is rooted in the reflection of self, place and holistic thinking.  Brian received his BFA from the University of Denver in 2015 and will be attending Pratt Institute for an MFA in Sculpture in the fall of 2017.

‘I don’t like to frame the work in a negative manner. It would be very easy for me to take this tragic material and display it in a tragic way. So, I try as hard as I can to play a neutral role in making the work, because I too am involved in this whole processes of consumption, destruction, and renewal.’ - Brian Napier

Press: Less Is More at RedLine, 100 Colorado Creatives - Corianne Wells & Kristopher Wright