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A stage set, before the drama begins
Robert Heilman's shadowy nocturnes at F.A.N.
Robert Heilman hails from Lebanon, Pa., and lives in a farmhouse that he's currently restoring. He also paints wonderfully bravura scenes of both the natural and the man-made world.
To a Philadelphian like me, Heilman's shadowy nocturnes set in and around Lebanon look oddly familiar and yet foreign. Heilman invests his scenes with a shadowy poetry, using light sources— both man-made and natural— to obtain maximum dramatic effect. He can paint a house lit up at night either very large, or quite small, and still achieve the same effect.
The work is a bit reminiscent of Edward Hopper, but Heilman's world is one devoid of people. Everything seems like a stage set, waiting for the play to begin. Seventh Ward is basically a street corner with a mailbox and a sign pole. You look at it and keep waiting to see someone walk past.
When Heilman moves into the natural world, again he's able to achieve drama regardless of the painting's dimensions. The small S.E. Night is every bit as powerful as the much larger Clouds. Even a humble piece like Middle Creek is not without its charm.
You can also detect subtle changes in the way the works are executed. Lake, Impressionistic, as its title suggests, is a much looser piece than Clouds, and the brooding heaviness that marks the Lebanon nocturnes is conspicuously absent.
"Recent Paintings" is a must-see show for lovers of landscapes and cityscapes. It's good, solid work, bravura work, but never showy.
To a Philadelphian like me, Heilman's shadowy nocturnes set in and around Lebanon look oddly familiar and yet foreign. Heilman invests his scenes with a shadowy poetry, using light sources— both man-made and natural— to obtain maximum dramatic effect. He can paint a house lit up at night either very large, or quite small, and still achieve the same effect.
The work is a bit reminiscent of Edward Hopper, but Heilman's world is one devoid of people. Everything seems like a stage set, waiting for the play to begin. Seventh Ward is basically a street corner with a mailbox and a sign pole. You look at it and keep waiting to see someone walk past.
When Heilman moves into the natural world, again he's able to achieve drama regardless of the painting's dimensions. The small S.E. Night is every bit as powerful as the much larger Clouds. Even a humble piece like Middle Creek is not without its charm.
You can also detect subtle changes in the way the works are executed. Lake, Impressionistic, as its title suggests, is a much looser piece than Clouds, and the brooding heaviness that marks the Lebanon nocturnes is conspicuously absent.
"Recent Paintings" is a must-see show for lovers of landscapes and cityscapes. It's good, solid work, bravura work, but never showy.
What, When, Where
Robert Heilman: “Recent Paintings.†Through September 29, 2012 at F.A.N. Gallery, 221 Arch St. (215\) 922-5155 or www.thefangallery.com.
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