John Gaunt and Tim Tozer present an exhibition of paintings and painterly structures that explore themes of environmental change and entropy through an abstract language derived in part from their shared Minnesota experience. Although distinct in their approaches, empirical systems of weather, topography and the urban environment provide points of departure for their search for an autonomous painted presence. Through sustained improvisation, both Gaunt and Tozer create hard-won forms that engage each other and the space of the gallery in an aesthetic dialogue that has sustained and challenged each artist for almost two decades.
Educated in the United States and abroad, John Gaunt maintains a studio practice in Minneapolis that embraces generative processes through painting, drawing and model building. A Professor in Painting and Drawing at the Minneapolis College of Art and
Design, Gaunt has held numerous visiting artist and guest lecturer positions including, the Burren College of Art in Ireland, the International Academy Neukloster Germany, School of Architecture and Urban Design at the University of Kansas, Gustavus Adolphus College, Cazenovia College, University of Minnesota, Hamline University, and University of Wisconsin – Stout. His work has been exhibited regionally and nationally and acquired in both public and private collections.
Born in Portsmouth, UK, Tim Tozer studied painting at the Winchester School of Art and the University of Ulster at Belfast, Northern Ireland. In 1994, he moved to the U.S. upon receiving the Andy Warhol Scholarship for study at the New York Academy of Art. Since
earning his MFA in painting, he has taught at numerous locations in the US, including Indiana University, the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and the University of Wisconsin-Stout where he is currently an Associate Professor in Painting and Drawing. He has exhibited both nationally and internationally.
Exhibition dates: January 4th – January 26th, 2020
Opening reception: Saturday, January 4th, 7pm – 10pm.