Gurnee artist's exhibit finds beauty in geometric shapes
Bob Nonnemacher, a painter and resident of Lake County for more than 30 years, currently living in Gurnee, will be a featured solo artist at the Evanston Art Center March 5 through April 10. An opening reception is planned for 1-4 p.m. Sunday, March 6.
Nonnemacher's artistic vision focuses on the beauty of geometry.
"When people view my paintings, I want them to be moved by beauty in a simpler form - to be able to look at a simple shape, as well as a combination of simple shapes, and find great beauty and a positive uplift in that," Nonnemacher said.
Nonnemacher's complex and energized abstract paintings are created by fusing bold lines into geometric shapes and through a painting process where he actually uses both sides of a single canvas.
After executing two contrasting painting techniques, one on each side of the canvas, he then cuts the canvas apart, sometimes into more than 200 pieces, and then he reassembles the pieces to create a final image.
The result is an optical energy dominated by vibrant color palettes and intriguing patterns that offer a fresh and exciting perspective on geometric abstraction.
The artist's unusual process started accidentally when he was working on some untreated canvas. While applying large amounts of the paint, it started to seep through to the other side. This prompted new conceptual revelations that led to new approaches to explore up/down, wet/dry, dark/light, control/surprise, and forward/recede - as well as the role of textures - in a body of work that explores geometric abstraction with an eye toward modernism.
"One simple line on a canvas; not very interesting in-and-of-itself. Now add just one more line - perpendicular, diagonal, or parallel - and interesting things start to happen," Nonnemacher said.
"Geometric shapes and negative spaces side-by-side start to appear and interact as your eyes dance in every direction. Now add color to those lines, spaces, and shapes. Those colors add a certain flavor or feeling, or remind you of places and things."
After earning a bachelor's degree in art at Winona State University, Nonnemacher began a thriving career in publishing as a designer, art coordinator, art buyer, and illustrator and project manager spanning 30 years, working for world-renowned publishing houses.
He has been a full-time artist for the last 15 years and currently exhibits his award-winning artwork throughout Chicagoland and the greater Midwest in galleries and juried exhibitions. He is a member of the Chicago Alliance of Visual Artists and has been affiliated with the Blue Moon Gallery in Grayslake, Lemon Street Gallery in Kenosha, Dandelion Gallery in Waukegan, Robert T. Wright Gallery of Art in Grayslake, The Art Center of Highland Park and The Grand Art Center in his hometown, New Ulm, Minnesota.
His original works have sold to private and corporate collectors throughout the United States.
Visitors will be able to view a large collection of Nonnemacher's "both sides" geometric abstraction paintings at the Evanston Art Center and learn more about his unique process.
"Geometry is beautiful. It's not something we ordinarily think about. In some ways, I hope my art will help change that," Nonnemacher said.
The Evanston Art Center is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Face masks and proof of vaccination are required upon entry. Exhibitions are free and open to the public.
The art center is accessible and is located at 1717 Central St. in Evanston.
For more information about Nonnemacher's solo exhibition, visit www.evanstonartcenter.org/exhibitions/cat/up-next or call (847) 475-5300. To learn more about Nonnemacher's art, visit bobnonnemacher.com.