Ernest Concepcion’s Latest Works at Ysobel Art Gallery

by Katherine Abrugena

Bubble Gum Universe, 36x48 inches , oil enamel markers colored pencil and gypsum on canvas, 2016

Ernest Concepcion’s solo exhibition at Ysobel Art Gallery is titled “Unprecedented Views”. His current paintings contain imagery that has references to his earlier works, an example of which is his Line Drawings.

These consist of sci-fi-inspired illustrations based on several elements combining photograph-based sketches and abstraction.

As a studio artist, Concepcion has always been interested in exploring the use of various plastic media, and for the past years has developed a technique with oil, enamel paint, and gypsum, putting out canvases with a highly textured finish.

For this exhibition, he has been able to come up with a fusion of his approaches to painting: improvising the illustrative free-flowing contour drawing, and preparing the textured full-of-color plane.

This technique of loosely applying thick pigments of paint now becomes both a tool and backdrop for the surreal visual of his new works.

The artist creates this set of boldly engaging landscapes where the subjects display a reflection of his selection of “space junk” references: representation of astronauts, rovers, satellites, and other objects in space.

The outwardly playful way of having to present a painting with both illustration and abstraction leads to an interesting narrative.