THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 18, 1994 TAG: 9409150184
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 28 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARY ELLEN RIDDLE
CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
Every day for the past year, Rick Tupper has been working at his trade.
He's created 35 paintings and drawings that will be on display at the Greenleaf Gallery through Oct. 15.
Those who view the works in the central gallery will be surrounded by statements filled with lush color and texture and gentle rhythms, products of an intuitive and thoughtful psyche.
The year's work marks a transitional period for the 47-year-old artist.
``I've been mixing drawings and paintings and figurative work,'' he said. ``I've made an effort to reinvent myself in my work. I'm constantly changing and exploring different media.''
It is all part of the urge to survive, said the Korean-born artist. ``I get stuck in a quagmire of certain techniques, and I feel like I'm dying.''
Tupper's desire to survive is evident on canvas. Drawing from his respect for nature, he works to develop a sense of the living on the rectangular shapes. Painting after painting flows with motion as grasses sway, carefully placed colors vibrate, an over-sized leaf penetrates a summer landscape, and partially ripe tomatoes wait on a window ledge. ``I take notes from nature. Those notes make me realize the awesome knowledge of God, God's creation.''
Man's mind is not here to cipher things, Tupper said, but to be in awe of it all.
Simple things, like a blade of grass or a green leaf, fascinate and inspire him. With a cupped hand he examines closely a stray reed rescued from the carpeted floor.
``Look how much information is there,'' said Tupper. ``Everything is very subtle when it comes to nature.''
Close study enables the artist to transfer this reverence to paper. In his colored pencil rendition of a clam shell, one becomes entranced by its rhythmic and swirling composition, and can see a delicate play of color. The drawing possesses an integrity beyond factual representation of form. Time and motion emerge as the eye runs along what appears to be a monochromatic brim to meet a hidden purple edge. Further study reveals layers of color that provoke the subconscious. Memories of the seaside rise. One sees a salty wave bathing the abandoned shell, revealing vibrant colors, then quickly disappearing as the water recedes.
Tupper refers to his works as subliminal paintings concerning matters of the heart. He uses a textural approach to apply layers of acrylic paint, then sands areas smooth to the touch. ``Texture hits your senses first, then gradually the subject matter comes out,'' he said.
Emotion also seeps out, according to the artist. Romantic symbols, hearts and roses can be found in several pieces.
Tupper doesn't pretend to understand each work, though they are intensely personal.
``Enigma of Emotions'' reveals an abstracted heart covered with many small dashes, hovering over a horizontal green brush stroke. It's a feeling, rather than a thought, and for a man who is admittedly non-verbal, it's an effective way to communicate.
``I put what I have to say on canvas,'' Tupper said. ``It's kind of a song. Some look and it is very loud and clear. To some it doesn't matter. They just pass it by.''
Tupper doesn't expect to always find feedback or answers. In fact, he believes that without mystery we would perish. ``I think it's good like that. We'd probably be suicidal out of boredom.''
``Cool Summer Evening,'' completed weeks ago, echoes this belief. The large painting is a landscape composed of panels of grasses and floral images. Above, a moon painted with a faint image of the United States glows, self-contained. Concerning the American moon, Tupper would only say, ``There's always a question as to where we are in the universe.''
If you would like to discover for yourself where Rick Tupper has been the last year, ``Recent Works'' at the Greenleaf Gallery in Nags Head will stay up for another month. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MARY ELLEN RIDDELL
Nags Head artist Rick Tupper is exhibiting his paintings at
Greenleaf Gallery in Nags Head.
by CNB