Unexpected: Bruce Riley

Molly and I spent a weekend in Cincinnati this summer, and I happened across the Miller Gallery during a short walk. The gallery owner looked unbearably artistic and stylish, dressed entirely in black with platinum white hair and a New Zealand accent. She was as welcoming as she looked intimidating, and though I was initially attracted to some pieces by Bruce Riley, it was her comments that made me stop and appreciate the beauty of the work.

I’m not a huge fan of abstract art. That’s why I was surprised to find Riley’s work so compelling, and I’m painfully aware the links I provide will express very little of the works’ incredible grace and sensitivity. One reason is scale. They are generally quite large, some as tall as six feet. The second reason is the dimensional quality of the work. He creates them by pouring resin over a huge wooden panel, allowing it to dry, and painting in oil before pouring the next layer and repeating the process. His flickr account contains close-ups that hint at the layered quality, but they don’t express the the way light filters through the paper thin layers of translucent resin. It’s best appreciated in the flesh, so to speak.

The whole experience was a surprising treasure in the midst of a beautiful weekend, and I’m grateful for it.