PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: 
Emilie Heidemann, Carnelian Art Gallery marketing director
920-763-6980
eheidemanncag@gmail.com

Photos: 
Email eheidemanncag@gmail.com, and you will be given access to a Google Drive link with visuals of paintings, and the artist’s headshot

Madison, Wisconsin, June 29 - Carnelian Art Gallery, located at 221 King St., Suite 102, in downtown Madison, is pleased to announce its August exhibition, titled "The Time We Spend Looking Outside.” This is a duo exhibition featuring works by Madison artist Fernando Rico and Milwaukee artist Daniel Fleming.

“Rico and Fleming’s artworks and their respective styles sync up so beautifully,” says Emilie Heidemann, Carnelian Art Gallery’s marketing director. “This is an exhibition you won’t want to miss.”

“We are so proud to exhibit the works of Fleming, who has pieces in Carnelian Art Gallery’s in-house collection, and the works of Rico,” says Evan Bradbury, Carnelian Art Gallery owner and head curator. “Please join us for our opening on Friday, Aug. 7, and throughout that same month, for an art show focused on celebrating nature and our place in it.”

The Time We Spend Looking Outside is slated to kick off with an opening reception at 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 7. The show’s end date is Sunday, Aug. 30. As always at Carnelian Art Gallery, admission on opening night is free, and light refreshments will be served.

At 6 p.m. on opening night, Fleming will deliver an artist talk regarding his background, technique, and the themes that inform his artworks.

“Madison has always held a special place in my heart and I’ve long hoped to take a bigger step into the art community after more than a decade away,” says Fleming. “Carnelian Art Gallery has been an exciting and welcome breath of fresh air and have not only made me feel immediately welcome in a new place but have done more than just about any gallery I’ve worked with in terms of support, encouragement, and inspiration over the first year we’ve been working together.”

Fleming is a working artist based in Milwaukee. He received his undergraduate degree in fine arts from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design in 2010, graduating with a major in communication design and a concentration in painting.

He has been represented by various galleries over the past 10 years and has taken part in group and solo exhibits throughout the nation.

Currently, Fleming is represented by Milwaukee's Scout Gallery. His paintings explore connection, the loss of it and introspection as a result of the busyness of everyday life, the influence of constant technological engagement, as well as ongoing political and social upheaval.

Working with ideas of isolation, connection, introspection, loss, distance and an overwhelming sense of the unknown, Fleming’s paintings result in an enveloping world of symbol, color, and surreal landscapes populated by mysterious, yet oddly familiar, figures. He works intuitively as opposed to pre-planning his paintings, which he describes as a meditative and organic process that reveals thoughts, emotions and ideas that inform our relationship with the everyday. His paintings provide solace moments of reflection, and he hopes each viewer finds a bit of themselves within the marks and message of each painting.

“In my recent collection of Midwest-inspired waterscapes, you’ll find a vibrant and energetic world to explore in each and every painting that requires nothing more than your own experiences and perspective to enjoy and connect with,” says Fleming. “Whether you want to simply take a look or have an in-depth discussion, my paintings leave lofty statements and pretenses at the door and welcome all viewers to inspect and interpret on their own terms, providing paths, but allowing each person to find their own way.”

And Rico (b. 1974 Medellín, Colombia). is a Latin American artist residing in Madison, Wisconsin. He primarily paints, alternating between oil and acrylic, placing special emphasis on chance as a guiding element in his work. He trained as a graphic designer, which means that color and image have been present in his life and in his work. He continues working, discovering, desiring, and painting.

“Taking your work out of the studio and submitting it to public scrutiny is as necessary as it is intimidating, but the gallery provides an appropriate physical space for this transition to be productive for both the artist and the viewer,” says Rico. “We hope that both can come together and celebrate art.”