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Roy De Forest was one of the most prolific and imaginative artists of his generation. The John Natsoulas Gallery is pleased to honor him this month with a special exhibition. The Roy De Forest 10 Year Memorial Exhibition will be held May 17th-July1st and an opening reception will be held May 19th from 7-9:00pm.
In the 60’s, De Forest joined the University of California, Davis faculty, which included William T. Wiley and Robert Arneson, and, with them, became a major participant in the “Funk” art movement. Using bizarre shapes and figures, he rejected the reductive nature of minimalism, and embraced complexity in the spirit of independence and irreverence. It was at this time that his paintings, drawings, and prints evolved into the brilliantly patterned mystical geographies, through which romped his signature dogs, wandering semi-humans and phantasmagoric traveling beasts. These visually compelling canvasses filled larger and more dazzling spaces with gleeful, self-reverent, yet serious and sophisticated images. As De Forest’s work grew more recognizable, the origins and relationships between such grew more personal, suggestive of dream worlds and developing personal mythologies.
John Natsoulas Gallery
521 First Street,Davis, Ca
art@natsoulas.com
Roy De Forest (11 February 1930 – 18 May 2007) was an American painter, sculpture, and teacher. He was involved in both the Funk art and Nut art movements in the Bay Area of California. De Forest's art is known for its quirky and comical fantasy lands filled with bright colors and creatures, most commonly dogs.
John Natsoulas Gallery
521 First Street
Davis, Ca 95618
