In Zeke Williams’ 14 new oil-on-plywood paintings at Erin Cluley Gallery, two aspects are particularly entrancing: the shimmering gradations of color that stretch across each of the carved wooden tiles on the work’s surface, and the patterns formed as the tiles fit together, like scales on a fish. The repetition with variation is mesmerizing, like watching the rotation of a disco ball or the reflections on the tiles at the bottom of a swimming pool.
With six solo exhibitions at Erin Cluley Gallery over the last decade, first in West Dallas and since 2019 in the Design District, Williams has become a stalwart of the local art community, producing steadily and growing ever more subtle and nuanced. While the crisp, hard-edged stenciling and bold, unmodulated primary colors in his earliest works struck me as somewhat chilly and impersonal, I was easily drawn into the “Gather” exhibition’s inviting warmth.
Technology is seamlessly integrated into the artist’s process (the pieces are designed with digital software, then cut with a CNC machine), but the casual feel of the birch plywood support and a certain human-feeling irregularity in the way the wooden tiles fit together give the works a casual, approachable vibe.
Details
“Zeke Williams: Gather” is on view through Sept. 27 at Erin Cluley Gallery, 150 Manufacturing St., Suite 210. Open Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m., and by appointment. Free. 214-760-1155. erincluley.com.
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