Carl Blackledge is an abstract painter born of the South. Raised in Laurel, he joined the Starving Artists Union in college and later moved to New Orleans before eventually relocating to Oxford.
Blackledge’s work primarily consists of large-scale, expressionistic paintings that convey meaning through their use of abstraction and color.
His current gallery exhibit of roughly a dozen paintings is a delightfully abstract portrayal of real-life objects and concepts. Blackledge’s enigmatic use of color contributes to the air of liveliness his pieces take on.
One of Southside’s gallery attendants, Kaz Zumbro, said her favorite piece currently on display was “Aerial Views and Ancient Lines,” which is an enthralling mixture of deep black slashed upon a pure white and faded pink backdrop.
“[Blackledge] truly is a favorite of ours. We’ve worked with him for ages and always make sure to have at least one or two of his works on hand,” Zumbro said.
Zumbro said the painter’s working process is something worth watching.
“Just recently, he came into the gallery and took home several of his paintings simply because he decided to start a new project and entirely paint over them,” she said. “He really is a passionate artist, and it always shows in the fantastic work that he does.”
The current selection of paintings on display ranges everywhere from the seemingly Mayan inspired, all the way up to picturesque landscapes that echo the color stylings of van Gogh. With such a wide array of work, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
While many of the pieces on display seem to reflect naturalistic themes, the paintings at the forefront of the gallery lean more toward scenic landscapes and still life depictions. Moving toward the back, however, large works of color take the stage. “Resting Among the Pines,” draws viewers in withs its cool blue tones and intriguing use of both shape and form.
Junior psychology major Lauren Riddick said she admired Blackledge’s use of color to draw focus to otherwise unexpected sections of each painting.
“Instead of bright reds and greens, Blackledge used earthy orange tones, slate blues, and he even dedicated an entire painting to the use of various lilac shades,” Riddick said.
