Blue Moon Gallery presents new exhibition featuring the beauty of geometry

After moving to Minnesota two-years ago, founding artist Bob Nonnemacher returns to Grayslake’s Blue Moon Gallery with a new collection of acrylic paintings in geometric abstraction. Nonnemacher is presenting 10 new super-sized paintings in “A Confluence of Shapes,” his new exhibition featuring his continued exploration of the beauty of geometry.

The gallery will host an Opening Reception from 6-9 p.m. Saturday, July 27, that is free and open to the public. The exhibition is on view through Aug. 11.

To create his earlier "both sides" geometric paintings over the past 10 years, Nonnemacher employed two contrasting painting techniques — wet/dry and glossy/flat — on each side of a single canvas. He then deconstructed his canvases using pre-determined geometric cut patterns, typically cutting them up into more than 200 pieces. Then, by flipping over every other piece and reassembling the canvas, he was able to reveal the contrasting painting techniques from the front and back side-by-side with each other. Bob then glued these reassembled pieces to new substrates and produced final images that exuded fresh optical energy, vibrant color palettes and captivating patterns, with each new image offering exhilarating perspectives on geometric abstraction.

In his newest collection, Nonnemacher returns to these same techniques, but builds upon and enhances them, while also creating brand new techniques and processes to further explore his visual study of geometric abstraction. As a collection, the new paintings offer a unique set of characteristics for the viewer:

• Eight- and 12-sided shapes allow for more intricate cut-and-assemble patterns compared to the four-sided rectangles and squares Nonnemacher previously used.

• In earlier works, colors were blended visually using a random “splatter” technique. In newer pieces, Nonnemacher blends colors deliberately with a paintbrush, creating gradations to add depth and textures previously absent.

• Each painting is meticulously planned to balance and harmonize shapes in terms of size, form and color. In addition, new palettes were introduced, including ombre effects, new color combinations, plus gold, silver, iridescent black and iridescent white. These, combined with new textures, result in a polychromatic palette that infuses the works with kinetic energy.

• New works introduce control/surprise, foreground/background, and positive/negative space.

• Larger canvases provide the space to expand the complexity of shape combinations, resulting in unusual and surprising compositions.

"When dissecting my paintings into individual components, I appreciate the multitude of shapes and find joy in each section as much as I do in the whole," Nonnemacher said. "I find fulfillment in the visual appeal generated by the interaction of simple shapes, individually or in combination, which results in a captivating aesthetic that brings the painting to life and invites deeper engagement."

"Geometry is beautiful, and I want to share how I see it. When people view my paintings, I hope they will be moved by the aesthetics of a simpler form. That they will be able to look at a simple shape and find great beauty,” he said.

“Nonnemacher’s artwork is exquisitely presented, professionally framed, and it showcases his determined dedication to every single detail," said Kendra Kett, Blue Moon Gallery director and curator. "The works are museum quality and a pure delight to examine and explore with one's full curiosity.”

Patrons can meet Nonnemacher at the Opening Reception from 6-9 p.m. on July 27, as well as during gallery hours on July 28 and from 1-4 p.m. Aug. 10-11.

Blue Moon is also hosting two pop-up shows, plus their year-round collective artists at the July 27 reception. Local artists Brian Garoutte will be showing a series of mixed media collages and acrylic paintings outside “on the bricks,” and Tim Flynn will be showing life-size sculptures made of unusual super-sized found objects and parts, plus colored-pencil drawings, on the gallery’s front patio. Flynn will also provide musical entertainment on ukulele.

The gallery’s year-round collective artists — John Kirkpatrick, Ginny Krueger, Juli Janovicz, Kendra Kett and Matthew Padilla – will be in attendance at the opening reception and will be presenting new works in acrylic, encaustic, watercolor, mixed media and oil. Wine will be served.

Blue Moon Gallery is at 18620 Belvidere Road in Grayslake. For more information, visit thebluemoongallery.com.