Mixed media at Fusion

By Felicia Menard
HippoPress.com

Richard K. Evans really wants his art to pop out.

Evans uses neon colored markers in his mixed media creations, which also combine paint and graphite. The result is a collection that is visually stimulating. The paintings become almost electric when viewed under a black light and spring from the mat board with the help of 3-D glasses.

For the month of June, Evans brings a dozen of his works to Fusion. He defines his work as "absolute realism combined with a cosmic elegance."

"(My drawings) enable me to keep my mind clear and focused, so I can dream better at night," he said. Large-scale portraits are anchored by surreal landscape backgrounds that defy normal space constraints. Lone vegetation springs forth in the background, as well as partial pyramids and blue skies.

In one painting, futuristic gears emanate from the being's imagination. In another, the hand of God reaches from the sky giving life-affirming acceptance and guidance to a smiling figure. Backgrounds of grids combine with landscapes of a skewed perspective and child-like iconography and color to charge the paintings with movement and energy. Some of the backgrounds are rendered in tight photo-realistic detail and other backgrounds are loosely drawn.

"I have three rules of art making. First, work as cleanly as possible. Second, work as fast as possible. Third, work as silently as possible. These three rules push me to expand myself," Evans said.

In his Plymouth studio, Evans is at work on a large portrait consisting of two people, himself and his girlfriend. A multiple portrait creates an interesting challenge, as the subjects need to project a feeling of unity while engaging the viewer.

"The hours at this painting represent hours upon hours, days upon days and weeks upon weeks. I spend hours trying to figure out where to put the right marks and the right colors. I want it to be perfect. If you ask me how long it takes me to create a work, I can't tell you. I'm so lost in the process," he said.

Evans's complex creations focus on an emotional connection between the work and the viewer.
An art education major at Plymouth State College, Evans will be a senior in the fall of 2003. He's considering a career as an art teacher.

"I've found where I belong (in art education). I can't just solely devote myself to myself." Evans is not sure at which level he's going to teach after he obtains his degree. "I've just spent 20 hours of observation and participation with freshmen and sophomores. In high school, everyone is a student and everyone is a teacher."

"My philosophy is that life is art. Anything can be art if you want it to be. I have love and passion for everything. One of my high school students asked me if I partied at Plymouth State. I said, 'Yeah, I party. I sing. I dance. I cook. I do kung-fu dishwashing.'"

"Ultraviolet Elegance: Art by Richard Evans" at Fusion Café, 967 Elm St., during June.

Felicia Menard can be reached at hippo@hippopress.com