ABOUT THE ARTIST
Charles Chambers is a native Birmingham, Alabama self-taught artist who has been painting since 1996. He has been inspired by the works and writings of an assortment of artists and movements. His education has been the museums throughout North America and Europe. He cites the influences of the frozen landscapes of Avercamp, the luminescence of Vermeer, the anxiety of Munch and Schiele, the constant re-invention of Picasso, the process of de Kooning, the impact of Bacon and the Odd world of Nerdrum.

His works are in private and corporate collections throughout the United States. He has had numerous group and solo exhibitions in Birmingham and Atlanta, but, this is his first solo show in New Orleans. 

IN HIS OWN WORDS

My work focuses primarily on the human form. I begin a painting with only a general idea and prefer that it develop on its own.  Most paintings start out as a rough sketch, and as lines are added, new forms are suggested, adjustments are made to find each composition and, finally, the subject.

I work in oil paint as it is the only medium that can make flesh look alive. Color is a very important factor creating jarring contrasts or neutralization. It is also a visceral unification between the figure and its surroundings... or lack thereof. There is an intrinsic logic to each work... no matter how disjointed they may appear at first.

As the work evolves, multiple layers create depth and the figurative effect of being pulled in various directions, ending with a sense of peripheral movement.