Portrait of J. de Decker 64 Times

Selected Works on Paper Aaron Stephan
________________________________________________________

Aaron Stephan exhibits a series of works on paper that attest to his preoccupation with process and perception. In several works, the artist has obsessively rendered iconic images from art history including paintings by Rembrandt and Caravaggio. Stephan has drawn 64 versions of Italian-Renaissance painter Antonello da Messina’s Portrait of a Man painted in 1475. The miniature drawings, each 1 x ¾”, are dramatically scaled-down interpretations of the original painting that inspired the work. Each drawing is rendered in ink and contains subtle differences such as shifts in value, inaccuracies in details, and varying line quality. The tiny works record the challenges confronted by the artist throughout the painstaking repetitive task. 

Other works in the exhibition include a map of the world created from the colored material used for grass in architectural models. The meticulous application of bright green powdered turf renders the textured silhouette of each continent.

Stephan’s works on paper are a visible manifestation of a deep commitment to exploring complex and often obsessive visual challenges, and of posing questions without necessarily offering the answer.