INTRODUCTIONS
MARC DENNIS | ADRIAN ESPARZA | SHERRY OWENS | ROBERT SAGERMAN

EXHIBITION DATES

June 24th – August 26th, 2017

OPENING RECEPTION  Saturday, June 24th from 5 – 8pm

Adrian Esparza, Sunroof, 2017, sarape, nails, wood, enamel, 82 x 164 inches

1845 LEVEE STREET, SUITE 110 | DALLAS, TX 75207

Cris Worley Fine Arts is pleased to introduce four new artists in this Summer’s upcoming exhibition, Introductions. Marc Dennis, Adrian Esparza, Sherry Owens, and Robert Sagerman display radical and unique talents in sculpture and painting. A reception will be held Sat., June 24, from 5 to 8 pm. The exhibit continues through August 26.

Marc Dennis (Brooklyn): Hyper-realist artist Marc Dennis brings levity, humor and virtuosity to his sumptuous oil paintings. The artist cites Southern European figurative masters such as Caravaggio, Velasquez, and Manet, and Northern European still-life masters, such as Bosschaert, Davidsz de Heem, and Rachel Ruysch as influences. Dennis’ paintings often depict subjects from the art historical canon infused with contemporary themes to form a critical perspective. The juxtaposition of pop-cultural iconography and artistic masterpieces subverts our sanctified views of art history’s most noble subjects.

Dennis received his BFA from The Tyler School of Art of Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and his MFA from The University of Texas at Austin. Over a dozen high profile private and public collections across the U.S. possess works by Marc Dennis. These include the collections of Larry Gagosian, Larry and Marilyn Fields, Bill and Maria Bell, and Glenn and Amanda Fuhrman. Public collections include The Rockwell Museum of Western Art, The Jack S. Blanton Museum of Art, and the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford University.

Adrian Esparza (El Paso): Adrian Esparza explores material culture by “re-instilling lost value in found objects.” Esparza has inspired international attention through his deconstruction of the Mexican sarape. The artist reconstructs geometric forms using colorful thread from the sarape. Drawing inspiration from modern architecture, physical landscapes, and mid-century minimalist artists, Esparza depicts dramatic one and two-point perspectives to form striking dimensionality and volume.

Adrian Esparza received his BFA from the University of Texas at El Paso and his MFA from California Institute of the Arts in 1998. Artist residencies include ArtPace in San Antonio and the Border Art Residency in La Union. Esparza’s creative reinvention draws international appreciation from Mexico City to Berlin as well as in the U.S. Most recently, the Dallas Museum of Art featured Esparza’s pieces through the Center for Creative Connections Visiting Artists Project. Esparza’s works reside in the permanent collections of multiple museums including the Dallas Museum of Art, the El Paso Museum of Art, and the Perez Miami Art Museum.

Sherry Owens (Dallas): Sherry Owens is a prominent sculptor in the continuum of contemporary artists in Texas. Owens is known for her exquisite sculptures made from repurposed crepe myrtle branches. She constructs dense and often chaotic forms through a labor-intensive process of carving and composing. Entwined branches transform light to expand and shift perspective. This interlacing technique mimics the delicate intricacy found in nature.

Sherry Owens received her BFA from Southern Methodist University. Owens won the Moss/Chumley North Texas Artist Award in 1999, the Artist/Craftsman Award from the AIA Dallas in 2014, and was chosen as the West Texas Triangle Artist in 2010 with a comprehensive survey at five West Texas museums. She co-founded the Emergency Artists’ Support League and served as president of the Texas Sculpture Association. Owens recently completed a large public art project for the Love Field Modernization Program at Love Field Airport in Dallas. Her work has been shown throughout Texas and the southwest and internationally in Peru, Germany, Greece, Turkey, and India.

Robert Sagerman (Jersey City): Informed by his academic studies in art history and Kabbalist Mysticism, Robert Sagerman creates pieces that awe and impress. The artist mills his own oil paint to build layer upon layer on canvas with a palette knife. The title of each piece then corresponds to the number of strokes made by the artist. Repetition as a form of meditation gives way to a mystical experience.

The artist received his BFA (1990) and MFA (1998) from Pratt Institute. A published scholar, he also holds an MS in Art History from Pratt Institute as well as an MA in Religious Studies and a PhD in Hebrew and Judaic Studies from New York University. During this time, he recieved two fellowships, one grant, and a certificate of excellence from NYU and the Pratt Institute. Sagerman’s work has been reviewed by Art in America, NY Arts Magazine, Kunstforum International, Art News and the Atlanta Journal Constitution among many others. He is in the public collections of the Portland Art Museum, The Karl Ernst Osthaus-Museum, and the Museum Für Konkrete Kunst.

Cris Worley Fine Arts is located at: 1845 Levee Street # 110, Dallas, TX 75207

Gallery Hours are Tuesday – Saturday from 11am – 5pm and by appointment.

214.745.1415 | inquiries@crisworley.com | crisworley.com