RISING Gallery is proud to present “The Throwaways”, a series of new paintings by Dallas artist, Bob Poe. This show marks Poe’s first solo exhibition at RISING Gallery.
This current series of artwork is built from pieces all around us. Referred to as The Throwaways, the pieces are collaged from a wide variety of found and purchased items – sticks, dirt and plants, electronics and other consumer goods. This style, mixed with more traditional techniques of representational and illustrative painting provides a lot of freedom and variety in the way each concept is eventually rendered. Poe says, “I enjoy playing with the juxtaposition of trompe l’oeil painting against dimensional elements. I like that it pushes the work into a grey area between 2 and 3 dimensions.”
Poe’s work has continued to progress over the years to include more mixed media elements and to further explore how those elements take shape and focus in his pieces. When asked about the refining of his process he said, “Good art is about creating something that engages a person on a number of levels. I want these objects to provoke an emotional response. I want them to jar memories and jumpstart a personal understanding of the piece. When I look at a small, plastic dinosaur, I can’t help but think about playing in the backyard as a kid. Each piece of the puzzle has a similar history that carries its own meaning for each viewer, and I like that I get to give those objects a new context.
Poe received his MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2001. He has lived and worked in Dallas since, showing locally in numerous shows including D art Slam, Your Element and Off the Grid. In 2011 he participated in the Affordable Art Fair in New York City.
