A Legacy of Painting: Examining Four Perspectives

“A Legacy of Painting: Examining Four Perspectives,” brings together the distinctive talents of Dan Howard, Keith Jacobshagen, Aaron Holz, and Chad M. Olsen, all of whom have had significant involvement with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts. 

Keith Jacobshagen’s paintings are renowned for their serene and expansive depictions of Midwestern landscapes. His work captures the subtle beauty of natural scenes, focusing on the interplay of the light and atmosphere of rural landscapes. 

Aaron Holz’s paintings, which also delve into the intricacies of natural forms, play with pattern, atmosphere, and illusion without being bound by the tenants of representation. His work focuses on letting shape and color play off one another, giving the materiality of paint a distinct presence in the work. His work incorporates elements of portraiture, fragments of nature, and symbolic imagery, creating a dynamic and often surreal visual experience. 

Dan Howard’s paintings are characterized by their vibrant use of color and his semi realistic approach that falls between abstraction and representation. His work focuses on abstraction by means of rearrangement, distortion and purposeful selection of elements making up an entity, to the point that the entity now has a presence relatively unique to the surface at hand. Howard enjoys making something unpredictable out of the predictable.

Chad M. Olsen’s paintings offer a more meditative and contemplative approach by exploring texture and color to communicate emotions. His use of muted colors, minimalist compositions, and subtle gradations create a balance of both the serenity and harshness of nature.

From Jacobshagen’s expansive landscapes to Holz’s intricate compositions, Howard’s expressive brushwork and Olsen’s minimalist abstractions, the exhibition offers a profound commentary on the evolving nature of contemporary painting.

Watch the artist talk here: https://youtu.be/0npPAO69d00?si=q1ux0yor4Dcda4Ba