Diehl, 54, lives and works in Marin County, California. A keen observer, the artist studies and reinterprets his subjects, contemplating essential elements and arriving at the core of the relationship between meaning and form. The artist eliminates what he considers superfluous detail for a consistency between subject and his elegantly minimal compositions.
At once literal and enigmatic, Diehl's still life paintings are appealing on numerous levels. His architectural compositions of books, postcards and flowers balance mathematical precision of line and form with sensually rendered organic elements and lush color.
Against deep and solitary backgrounds in neutral tones, dramatically lighted objects—much like figures in a Caravaggio painting—appear as animated as characters on a stage.
Through his juxtaposition of book titles and natural elements, Diehl creates quiet allegories which reference western literature, philosophy, architecture and art history. Immediately captivating in their exquisite craftsmanship, these paintings embody the tension between significance and aesthetics in contemporary art.
During the past year, Diehl has exhibited in a major still life show at Spanierman Gallery in New York, and has completed several private commissions around the country. Diehl's work is held in the collections of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the Oakland Museum of California, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. His work has been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle and Examiner, Visions and Artweek, among others. This is his second major solo exhibition at Hackett-Freedman Gallery. (A full-color exhibition catalogue is available.)
Copyright © 2001 Hackett-Freedman Gallery. All rights reserved. Do not duplicate
or redistribute in any form. The copyright of all art presented belongs to the individual artists. Images may not be distributed in any form or fashion.
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