“Subject Matters” celebrates a new group of mixed media paintings on canvas by Thomas Crouch. The exhibition will open at City Art with a reception August 6th from 5-8pm and will remain in the main gallery through September 5, 2015. “This group of paintings are the result of months of work and display a change in medium and media. After years of drawing on blueprint paper I chose to return to painting. With that return I became reacquainted with the problems and obstacles painters face while creating images. The one most reoccurring obstacle was subject matter and how that subject matter relates to the canvas. After speaking with many artist friends, numerous studio visits and research of admirable painters, these pieces are the answers I have come up with thus far. I look forward to continuing this creative process,” Crouch says.

Thomas Crouch is a Columbia, SC artist who has paintings in private collections on five continents. Having studied figurative oil painting, figurative drawing, and art theory at the Lorenzo De Medici School of Art in Florence, Italy, Thomas obtained a BA in Art Studio from the University of South Carolina in 1997. Thomas has been recognized in Jasper Magazine as an Artist of the Year finalist in 2012 and 2013, in the Free Times 2013 Writer’s Pick for Best Artist, and as a featured artist at the 2012 Richland and Lexington County Cultural Council Sponsor’s Dinner. His work has also been recognized in the SC State Fair, winning First Premium in Drawing in 2013 along with several merit awards in 2010, 2012 and 2013. Thomas has competed as a juried artist in the 2013 Artfields competition, and continues to work with Caroline Guitar Company to national and international retailers. Crouch comments, “Painting is the among the earliest and most potent forms of human communication and transferal of ideas. It exceeds the boundaries of language and sound, academia and intellect and relies solely upon itself and the viewer for it’s success or failure.”

City Art Gallery is located at 1224 Lincoln St. in the historic Congaree Vista area in Columbia, South Carolina.  Gallery hours are Monday – Thursday 10:00 a.m. until 6 p.m., Friday 10:00 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturdays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  For more information contact Wendyth Wells, City Art Gallery, at 803-252-3613.  Visit online at www.cityartonline.com