Masterful drawings by two Philadelphia artists on display now at Cerulean Arts

Drawing does not always get the attention it deserves, but when executed with passion and expertise the medium is an example of how to do much with little.  Drawing is arguably less understood than painting or sculpture, the two bedrocks of western fine art, and although painters must master drawing with the intention of creating paintings, there are many artists for whom drawing is an artistic end in itself.  It is therefore exciting to see Cerulean Gallery in Philadelphia exhibiting the masterful drawings of two Philadelphia-based artists whose work explores drawing for the sake of drawing. Michael Moore, chair of the post-baccalaureate program at the Pennsylvania Academy of the fine Arts, and Michael Rossman, professor at University of the Arts, use the drawn line as their starting point for creating intricate webs of pattern and form that blur the line between representation and abstraction. 

In Moore’s drawings, done with india ink, there is an undercurrent of organic form hidden within the dense accumulations of black lines. In his artist statement Moore explains that his work “begins with the practice of drawing—drawing simply to draw.”  Moore tempts the viewer into recognizing a landscape or a still life but offers instead a dance of shapes, volume, and depth. Rossman’s graphite work is similar to Moore’s in that the art develops with the building up of form through multiple lines, but Rossman’s subject matter begins with organic forms, such as a tree or a collection of foliage, and from there grows into a patterned cloud that is both familiar and mysterious. 

The exhibition is at Cerulean Arts Gallery and Studio at 1355 Ridge Ave, Philadelphia and is on display until November 27^th, 2010. There is also the opportunity to hear the artists discuss their work on November 7^th from 1-4 pm.  More information is available at http://www.ceruleanarts.com/exhibitions.htm