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Venice, CA -- L.A. Louver is pleased to present recent paintings, works on paper and a new suite of etchings by Tom Wudl. Wudl’s new work is inspired by the Avatamsaka Sutra – or the Flower Ornament Sutra – the epic book that is considered the most elevated scripture of Huayan Buddhism. The sutra contains vivid metaphors and language that evoke powerful imagery to inspire exalted experiences of mind and reality. Wudl does not intend to illustrate the sutra, but rather create images that reflect its rich content.
“The finest jewels appeared spontaneously, raining inexhaustible quantities of gems and beautiful flowers all over the earth.” -----Translated from Book One of the Avatamsaka Sutra Sparkling jewels appear in several of Wudl’s works; as do eyes that float in space or emanate from flowers. A club motif, often miniscule in scale, is pervasive, and represents the elaborate descriptions of phenomena that are characteristic of the Avatamsaka Sutra’s literary style. The innumerable and repetitious form also reflects the book’s primary purpose as an exhortation to meditation, which in its practice involves repetition. All but one of the works in the exhibition are intimate in scale (sizes range from just over 4 inches square to 9 1/2 x 13 inches), and dense and intricate in composition. The exhibition embraces both pencil drawing on paper, as well as rich oils on paper and canvas. The show also debuts a new suite of etchings that depicts a rose. This rose is the central motif in the exhibition, and is printed in four versions.
Tom Wudl immigrated to the United States from Cochabamba, Bolivia in 1958. Beginning life in a new country at age ten, Wudl already knew he wanted to become a painter. Wudl attended The Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles, but achieved most of his skill and insight through his independent study of late Medieval (particularly Northern European) and early Renaissance Italian painting, and during travels to Europe.
Throughout his career, Wudl has balanced his art making with teaching: in addition to leading private classes, he has held positions at Art Center College of Design, Pasadena; UCLA; UC Irvine; UC Santa Barbara; Claremont College; and Otis College of Art and Design. Wudl has exhibited his work at museums and galleries throughout the United States and abroad, including Documenta V, Kassel (1972); Sezon Museum of Art, Tokyo and Nagoya City Museum in Japan; the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; San Francisco Museum of Art; Pasadena Art Museum; and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. L.A. Louver has represented Tom Wudl since 1980.
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