Environments of Brightness: New work by Phil Geiger

The Beverley Street Studio Gallery’s current show, New Work by Virginia artist Phil Geiger, brings a nationally acclaimed artist to Staunton.  Along with Phillip Nolley’s impressive show of glass sculpture at Staunton August Art Center, two Phillips are richly adding to Staunton’s visual culture now.

Geiger’s paintings are directly aligned to the long, great tradition of figure painting in western art.  He carries that tradition forward from Impressionism’s rapid brushwork and concern for light; from the solidity of Cézanne’s Post-Impressionist pitchers, apples, and heads; from the simplified, “cut-off” compositions of Japanese prints that so influenced artists like Van Gogh—into the agitated brushstrokes of Expressionism, and the clear, cool, observation of recent New Realism.

The main subject of Geiger’s paintings is light and its illumination of figures, furniture, floors, and interiors—environments of brightness.  In the painting NOA, a reclining woman, on a bed thrusting diagonally into the room and seen from above, rests on crumpled white sheets glistening in sunlight.  Pinks and reds accent the scene.  A whitish highlight on her shoulder hits just the right note.  Loose brushstrokes masterfully orchestrate tones and perspective into a coherent spatial illusion—so well done it looks easy!

Geiger is concerned with clear observation, clear “seeing” and putting down his responses as directly as possible.  The strength of his paintings comes from the convincing illusion of three-dimensional form and space.  The brilliance comes from the remarkable sense of light as it reveals those forms and that space.  Gesture is important:  the gesture of paint strokes; the gestures of people sitting, standing, reclining; even the gestures of heads turned slightly—all combine to create a sense of life and movement in his paintings.

Looking at the paintings I couldn’t help but think of some of the great American painters of light like Edward Hopper, Winslow Homer, and that great portrait painter and his whites, John Singer Sargent.  It’s high company to keep and Geiger, though influenced by tradition, brings a freshness to his paintings.  The exhibit rewards and deserves repeated visits and close looking.  One has to wonder, who paints the figure better than this today?

Geiger’s exhibit runs through Nov. 10th; Phillip Nolley’s exhibit at SAAC runs through Nov. 7.