"Prometheus" 34"x26" Acrylic on canvas, 2023

Opening reception Saturday, Sept. 2, 5-8p. This event is being hosted on Evanston Made First Saturday Art Events, see the full list of citywide art events at evanstonmade.org 

Join us for the Artist Talk on Saturday, Sept. 23, 6p. Click here to RSVP. Artruck is happening that night too, just around the corner on Ashland between Greenleaf and Crain, 7-10p. 

The show will feature a baker’s dozen of Paul Wear’s paintings from the last year.

BIO

Paul Wear is a contemporary abstract painter who was born in the Midwest and grew up on the East Coast. He discovered a passion for painting at community college, and went on to study at University of Maryland. He has been living and working in Chicago and its suburbs since the mid 1990's. Paul draws constant inspiration from the city and its vibrant culture, architecture and energy. He currently has a studio behind his home in Evanston, IL.

In his work over the last 30 years, Paul has developed a distinctive visual language and style. He juxtaposes bright clean colors with dark distressed surfaces, flatness with physicality, figurative representation with pure abstraction. The images in his paintings are built up gradually, starting as chaotic splashes and random strokes of paint on the canvas. As the paint layers build up, Paul draws into the surface with a needle tool, pulling out images suggested to him by the paint itself. The act of painting is a conversation, sometimes an argument, between the painter and his materials.

Photo of Paul in the studio by Joerg Metzner

See more of Paul’s work at paulwearart.com

On display Sept 1 - 24, 2023 at 1100 Florence Gallery

1100 Florence Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201

Gallery Hours; Friday 5-8p, Sat & Sun 12-5p

Viewings by appointment, call 847-544-8205