George Billis Gallery- NY

In Derek Buckner's most recent series of paintings, the vibrant palate and intensity of light-- now, more than ever-- lend his subject matter an almost reverential weight. Buildings and factories appear not only as elements of industrial Brooklyn but also as blocks of pure color. The artist, who works in the Gowanus area of Brooklyn, says, " For me, painting is not about inventing something new but instead it's the act of seeing and considering my world from new perspectives. A painting, unlike a photograph, does not represent a moment in time but is itself an collection of memories and decisions - an artifact of an experience. It is the desire to translate my experience of seeing through paint which compels me to put my brush to canvas. In order for me to paint I need to be emotionally excited by a subject, whether it be the afternoon sun hitting a factory wall, clouds gathering on the horizon or the delicate shifts of shadow in the folds of a white curtain. My goal is not to reproduce what I see but to provoke that same excitement in the viewer as well."