Philly Artists' 2-Person Exhibit Coming To Rosemont College

ROSEMONT, PA – The Lawrence Gallery At Rosemont College is gearing up for a double feature of sorts, as two Philadelphia-based artists will have their work featured in an exhibit running from Jan. 18 to March 8.

The exhibit, "Proxiums," will feature recent works on canvas and paper by Philadelphia-based artists Ron Rumford and Jonathan Eckel, the college announced.

According to Rumford and Eckel, the title "Proximus" represents the proximity of their respective studios (which sit within 50 feet of each other in Northwest Philadelphia), the dynamic between them, and their shared passion for abstract art.

The gallery will host an opening reception on Thursday, January 18 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., with an informal artists’ talk at 4:30 p.m.

"It is an honor to collaborate on an exhibition with my great friend and neighbor, Jon Eckel," Rumford said. "We are grateful to have the Lawrence Gallery team see the connection in our work, and it is a tremendous honor to present our recent paintings and unique prints in their gallery."

Both artists both take inspiration from pre-war to mid-20th Century American and European art, as well as the arts of indigenous cultures, the college said.

Though the artists differ in terms of style and technique, their saturated colors, perceptive drawings, and strong compositions establish the commonality in their art.

Rumford’s process at once permits experimentation and demands precision as he develops composite images from a range of self-made printing plates. His prints are comprised of overlapping blocks of gestural line and shape. While the forms are deceptively simple at first glance, an extended, more thorough viewing reveals multiple layers of depth and meaning.

"In my work, I like to explore the tension that develops between the line and the shape the line makes," Rumford said. "The viewer can see my prints as maps or tracings of abstract journeys. They can be metaphors for real, physical travels, or completely imagined."

As the director of Dolan/Maxwell, an internationally-known visual and contemporary art gallery in Center City, Rumford has strong ties to the Philadelphia art community and has made a continued effort to promote talented local artists for over two decades.

In 1984, he earned his BFA from The University of the Arts, before moving to Rome, Italy to study at the Tyler School of Art. He has shown extensively in Ireland, England, and throughout the United States. His work is featured in the collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Palmer Museum of Art in University Park, Pennsylvania, as well as the Free Library of Philadelphia and the New York Public Library.

Whereas Rumford is structured and precise, Eckel is DeKooning-esque in his aggressive laying down of images. He riffs on 20th century masters in an intensely personal mash-up while using shading and shadow to create illusionistic space. There is a feeling of musicality in his work in that the shapes –and where they meet—generate an energy that makes them vibrate.

Eckel claims to have discovered a new sense of freedom in his most recent series of paintings.

"I’m learning to trust myself as an artist," Eckel said. "By applying the paint intuitively, I create a raw rhythm of line, color, and shape. I often try to surprise myself because, I figure, if I’m surprised, then the viewer will also be surprised."

Eckel earned his BFA from Temple University and also studied at the Tyler School of Art.

He has shown extensively throughout the United States. His recent exhibits include Return to Reason at the Tioga Gallery in Bryn Mawr, Between Figuration and Abstraction at the Dalet Gallery in Philadelphia, and All Guns Down at Hibben Studio in Princeton, New Jersey.

Lawrence Hall Gallery is located on the Rosemont College Campus, 1400 Montgomery Ave., Rosemont.

The Gallery is open Monday through Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 8 p.m., or by appointment. For more information, please call 610-527-0200, extension 2967.

Pictured at top is "Corral" – Jonathan Eckel

Images via Rosemont College