Kevin Tolman: Sense of Place

Kevin Tolman is known for his earthy abstract paintings reminiscent of the natural world. He works  improvisationally, riffing with materials and techniques. Full of lively markmaking and layers of lush texture, Tolman’s work is influenced by his keen observations of nature both near his home along the Rio Grande in New Mexico, as well as his excursions further afield and his travels around the world. The paintings he creates are both map and vestiges of his observations and creative experimentation.

The exhibition “Sense of Place,” is comprised of paintings which are both poetic glimpses into real places, as well as abstract “places” in their own right. They hint at remnants of experiences and observations, but each also becomes a small world the viewer can wander into and explore. Kevin Tolman was most recently in Portugal, a place where he has spent a great deal of time over the years. Many of the paintings in this exhibition bear the imprint of Tolman's travels in that part of the world, and like the layering of the many cultures evident in the Portuguese landscape, the paintings in this body of work have a layered sense of place that possesses a strong sense of history and depth.

Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Kevin Tolman now lives and works in Alburquerque, New Mexico. Tolman’s work is exhibited in galleries, museums, and universities across the United States where his paintings are included in a large number of private, corporate, and public collections. His work has also been exhibited internationally in Canada, Mexico, Germany, France, England, and in Portugal.