Dermabrasion at APSU

Don’t let the title of the show fool you. Greene’s paintings don’t embrace the aggressively ugly, let’s-see-if-we-can-make-the-viewer-wince aesthetic that is so persistent in contemporary art. (Please, when will it end?) Greene’s non-objective works are subtle, nuanced fields of color and shape. They engage the eye with a purely visual mystery, sometimes suggesting natural processes, other times presenting layered elements that hint at action beyond our immediate perception. These are paintings that call for quiet contemplation rather than visceral reaction. Greene describes his paintings as inspired by the rural landscape of Tennessee, something that isn’t literally reflected in the art, but that seems an apt metaphor for the organic spirit of his work.
Nov. 9-Dec. 2, 2009