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Of his work, critic John Yau observes that "In scale, Peter Acheson’s untitled, abstract paintings and watercolors range from diminutive to small. In fact, one could reproduce all of Acheson’s paintings actual size in a catalogue that would fit comfortably on someone’s lap. Many are square or nearly square, others are more vertically or horizontally oriented. And yet, despite the extreme intimacy of their scale, they do not feel small. This is because of the size of the brushes the artist uses, and the repertoire of mostly linear marks he uses to make a stack or row of rectangular structures, imply expansiveness. The artist’s vocabulary also includes a field of stylized arabesques; rectangular, monochromatic shapes; and a circle or part of a circular shape. Acheson likes his paint to have the consistency of paste. He applies it both directly and matter-of-factly. What elevates Acheson’s paintings into their singularity is his ability to concentrate on perception. He alludes to pictographs, but the paintings are not pictographic. Rather, the visual language is both familiar and remote, individual and nameless. In using different visual languages, each of which is both personal and anonymous, some of which has its origins in the archaic, Acheson situates his work in a tradition that was explored by the Abstract Expressionists and such later figures as Forrest Bess."
Peter Acheson was born Washington, D.C., and lives in Ghent, NY. He has shown at Elizabeth Harris Gallery, New York City and his group exhibitions include a three-person show with Andrew Masullo and Chris Martin, and "Sense Ability," curated by Cecily Kahn. Acheson received his BFA from Yale University.
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