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Warmth Her Grieve (Slightly Zaftig; Wish'd)
by Michael Connor


Tertiary Mischief
by Michael Connor

Mythomaniography

paintings by

Neill Ewing-Wegmann
&
Michael Connor

As a curator, one of my pleasures is to bring together artists who may not have awareness of each others work even within the small community of Portland Maine. A gallery owner has a ring side seat, so to speak, as artists who are looking to show will trudge their wares in hoping for an exhibition opportunity. And as an artist myself I see connections between people's works that few others may appreciate until you get them side by side. Stylistically, thematically and biographically there is really only the slimmest of threads connecting the two painters Michael Connor and Neill Ewing-Wegmann, but holistically their works are catalysts that combine to reverberate and explode!
Let me digress to 1911... Munich, Germany two artist formed the core of what became The Blaue Reiter group. a central hub in the rise of German Expressionism. Wassily Kandinsky and Franz Marc. Kandinsky's Munich period saw the fermenting of his later fully abstract style, still at this time weaving recognizable imagery often bringing in references to Teutonic legends and working with an explosive riot of colors. Marc explored a kind of soft cubism and his muse was the wild animal which played out scenes of both nurturing calm and violent turmoil.
The parallels to Ewing-Wegmann and Connor are evident in Ewing-Wegmann's multi-colored palette of slashes of paint depicting Norse legends, and Connor's soft hued renderings of stuffed animals into fractured geometries. Their work is exciting and brilliant and showcases native Maine talent. (How many "Maine artists" were actually born and raised here?!).

~Frank Turek owner/curator ubu studio art gallery

Neill Ewing-Wegmann bio and comments on his art


from the exhibit
Mythomaniography

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Hel's Ship Departs (25"x25")
by Neill Ewing-Wegmann


Before Ragnarok
by Neill Ewing-Wegmann


from the exhibit
Mythomaniography
Neill Ewing-Wegmann was born in 1979 in Belfast, Maine. At age 2 his family moved to Los Angles, California. He lived there until the age of 12 when he moved to Bath, Maine. In 1998 Neill graduated from Morse High School in Bath. He attended Colby-Sawyer College, majoring in Graphic Design and Painting studying under Professor John Botte. After graduating with a BFA in 2002, he moved to Portland, Maine. All through his life he has made frequent visits to his parents' home state of Louisiana. Currently he works as a graphic designer at a print shop in downtown Portland. Neill's goal is to always have his work on public display.

Ewing-Wegmann on his work...
Every painting is a step in the evolution of my work. When I put brush to canvas I enjoy the anticipation of what the end result will be. The overall intent of my paintings is to expand the existing perception on the given subject whether that subject be human form, nature, mythology or an abstract thought from my own mind. This plays to the symbiotic relationship shared between the artist and his viewer. My personal goal as an artist is to push myself to create work that is unique while avoiding pretentious pitfalls. In this series I chose to interrupt a long time passion of mine, Norse Mythology, also known as Viking Mythology. Like all mythology this one, (written by warrior people), is about how mankind came to be and how it will end. The stories follow the adventures of a pantheon of gods: Odin, "King of the Gods," Loki "the Trickster," Thor "the Thunder God," Heimdall, "Centennial of the Rainbow Bridge," and many others. Their lives are chronicled until the end of their legacy when Ragnorok comes and the gods band together in one last battle against the forces of evil led by Odin's blood brother Loki. With such a rich source of material it was hard to narrow down what I wanted represented, but I tried to put a little of everything from Asgard, home of the gods, Thor's battle with giants, the apples the gods eat to stay young, to the evil ship, Naglfar, made of dead men's fingernails. I hope this work will inspire the viewer to learn more about this amazing mythology, the rich culture that spawned it, and that it evokes a sense of wonderment in a world gone by.

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