Between Disciplines: Art by James Lutzko
BE-1401, oil on canvas with high-gloss epoxy topcoat
Calgary-based artist James Lutzko creates artworks that span medium and subject matter, meeting to create interesting intersections between disciplines. Much of James’ work is focused around the idea of space, and intuitive creation.
GC-1601, oil on canvas with high-gloss epoxy topcoat
I really enjoy James’ into Abstract and Spatial Expressionism. The artist himself notes that Lucio Fontana has played a role in shaping his work, and it’s interesting to see the work that’s come out of that inspiration. The paintings in this gallery tend toward monochromatism, with most appearing as gradients of one or two similar hues. Visible brush marks cross over the breadth of the canvas, yet still, there isn’t much of a sense of the artist’s hand.
The front page of James' portfolio website
It’s interesting to see these abstractions next to James’ plein air paintings and other figurative works. In his landscapes, particularly, the same spatial sense often comes into play – the artist is quite good at portraying areas as vast, even while populating his images densely with trees and architectural elements.
