ERIC MERRELL “The Ranges Between”
Opening January 21, 2023 - Full preview below
Eric Merrell takes us on a journey through dream-like desert scapes, spanning from snow covered Joshua Trees to arid desert roads.
Questions: info@MaxwellAlexanderGallery.com or 213-275-1060
“Ivanpah Mountains” Oil 16” x 24” (Framed 21 x 29 inches)
Price: $4,800
“The Howling Glory of the Wild Mojave” Oil 36” x 48” (Framed 41 1/8 x 53 1/8 inches)
(SOLD)
“The Howling Glory of the Wild Mojave” Oil 18” x 24” (Framed 24.25 x 30.25 inches)
Price: $5,000
“Antennae” Oil 24” x 24” (Framed 27 3/8 x 27 3/8 inches)
Price: $6,500
“Night on the Dunes” Oil 18” x 24” (Framed 24.25 x 30.25 inches)
Price: $5,000
“Mojave Storm” Oil 36” x 48” (Framed 41 x 53 inches)
Price: $12,500
“Mojave Storm” Oil 18” x 24” (Framed 24.25 x 30.25 inches)
Price: $5,000
“Vista Point” Oil 18” x 24” (Framed 24.25 x 30.25 inches)
(SOLD)
“Wind Gust, Soda Dry Lake” Oil 24” x 32” (Framed 30.25 x 38.25 inches)
(SOLD)
“Alignment” Oil 12” x 16” (Framed 17 x 21 inches)
Price: $2,400
“Kelso Dunes” Oil 24” x 36” (Framed 30.25 x 42.25 inches)
Price: $8,500
“Substrata” Oil 16” x 24” (Framed 20.5 x 28.5 inches)
Price: $4,800
“Clones” Oil 18” x 24” (Framed 24.25 x 30.25 inches)
Price: $5,000
"A Glow Lifted From the Sands" Oil 36" x 48" (Framed 41 1/8 x 53 1/8 inches)
Price: $12,500
“Two Hills Darkening” Oil 18” x 24” (Framed 24.25 x 30.25 inches)
(SOLD)
“Snowglobe” Oil 24” x 32” (Framed 30.25 x 38.25 inches)
Price: $8,200
“Crescent Moon and Kelso Peak” Oil 16” x 24” (Framed 20.5 x 28.5 inches)
Price: $4,800
“Double Mojave” Oil 18” x 24” (Framed 24.25 x 30.25 inches)
Price: $5,000
“Three Roads” Oil 12” x 16” (Framed 17 x 21 inches)
Price: $2,400
Available. To purchase this painting contact us HERE
Show Write Up
“And in the end, the study of color is the study of ourselves.” - Joseph Albers
In seeking to make work that is distinctive and true to himself, Merrell has gravitated towards the Mojave Desert as a motif that has engaged him for nearly two decades. As a way of further exploring and working in some of its more remote sections, he applied to and was given a residency with the Mojave National Preserve Artist Foundation in 2019.
Through the residency he spent five weeks exploring and settling into the harsh but beautiful landscape. After the delay brought on by the pandemic, he opened “The Ranges Between” at the La Quinta Museum in La Quinta, CA in February of 2021, a solo exhibit based on his residency.
We are happy to host the sale portion of this museum exhibition, opening January 21st in our Downtown Los Angeles gallery. The gallery will be open from 12-5pm that day with the artist in attendance from 1-4pm.
The residency took place in The Mojave National Preserve, situated in some of the easternmost sections of the California desert, located between the 15 and 40 freeways – if you’ve ever done the drive to Vegas from Los Angeles, you know how remote this is. To give you context to the size and scale of this project, the Preserve itself is twice the size of Rhode Island and has no services, gas, food, or lodging within it.
For a stretch of time Merrell lived off the famous freeway exit, Zzyzx Road. This location offered close access to many of the Preserve’s unique landscape features, including Soda Dry Lake, numerous old volcanic cinder cones, huge Joshua tree forests; even massive sand dunes, although that was a forty-minute commute. Similar to some of the locations in Death Valley, but less traveled.
Over the five weeks, Merrell worked feverously on location in solitude. With so much time he was able to fully immerse himself in the landscape and let the artwork flow. Many of the works done on location were then brought back to the studio to make larger and more thoroughly resolved pieces.
With so much time available, he was able to fill up an entire sketchbook with drawings. Often, especially during the February portion of the residency, snow and inclement weather prevented working on location all of the time – although he did manage to paint various sketches of the snowstorm, his entire setup was knocked over more than once, requiring him to dig everything out of the snow before the next storm hit. His sketchbook became his “go to” in these circumstances. These drawings included colored pencil sketches and watercolors too. He would then take those back to his studio and further expand on them.
Merrell took his time in the studio on larger paintings, sometimes re-creating the feeling of painting on location by limiting the time each day he’d spend on a canvas – revisiting it each day at the same time (similar to what you’d do on location to catch a consistent light each day). There’s a certain energy that exists with on-location paintings, and his work effectively captures that in the studio pieces too. The larger works enabled him to liberate from literalness and engage more with picture-making: elements such as texture, shape, and design. The outcome was a more conceptual outlook on the desert, rather than an attempt to recreate a photographic scene, although you can find these specific places if you know where to look.
More and more, Merrell has been combining direct on-location painting with the idea(s) he has for a work, as he looks to explore conceptual ideas. His years of outdoor paintings have given him a strong ability to capture a quick composition – but in the studio it allows for a more in-depth conversation and to explore ideas on a larger scale.
Merrell’s focus is always on designing with color and shapes whether he’s outdoors or in his studio. These particular elements are some of the most noticeable that an artist can use to signal their individuality. Given the time to explore the Mojave Desert in this much depth allowed him to see things beyond the lens of reality and produce a truly inspiring group of paintings for his latest exhibition.
The full preview with images, video, and pricing of “The Ranges Between” will be available early next week. Paintings will be sold on a first come first served basis. To be kept up to date on when the online preview goes live, please simply reply to this email with your interests.
