Ryan Whelan represented by pt.2
pt. 2 Gallery is pleased to announce the representation of Oakland-based visual artist Ryan Whelan. Whelan uses soft pastel to counter the rigidity of acrylic paint and embraces the unexpected results of pastel pigments smearing and smudging. In his paintings, the smallest details are mighty and the power of his images often resides in what can only be seen up close. Central to Whelan’s practice is the exploration of the simple action, but expansive reaction, and of connecting to what surrounds him.
Nature has consistently been a recurring interest and subject for Whelan. He feels that Nature embodies the hopeful idea that there is always opportunity for new growth, even under the harshest conditions. In Whelan’s solo exhibition The sum of my surroundings at pt. 2 Gallery in October 2020, he examined the reciprocal exchange between one and their surroundings, focusing the narrative on the lush expansion of nature all around him. Highlighting the quiet moments and small details rather than expansive vistas, many works explored connection through the idea that “what you encounter also encounters you.
Whelan advances this exploration in his newest body of work, with a greater focus on examining his connection to places that embody a sense of home. The apartment building becomes a symbol of an on-going and difficult reconciliation of change within his community, which has been most noticeable in Oakland’s skyline. Drawn in a flattened perspective, the apartments in Complex I and Complex II represent both the physical and the emotional, as Whelan studies the way the home relates to Oakland’s changing landscape. The drawing Complex I presents a stripped down view of this expansion. A large, blocky apartment complex fills the picture plane, the windows are notably void - offering the viewer a moment to imagine what the home should contain. Yet in the drawing Neighbors Whelan presents a way of reconciling these changes. Situating a similar pair of buildings amongst overgrown trees and leaves, Whelan suggests that maybe with some time, community will grow. With these contrasting elements, Whelan seeks to explore what it means to have a sense of place.
Ryan Whelan
”Neighbors”
Acrylic, charcoal, and soft pastel on paper
26 x 33.5 inches
Framed in museum glass
2021
Whelan will exhibit new work in a group exhibition at pt. 2 Gallery in April 2021, with a solo exhibition forthcoming in 2022. To coincide with his representation, pt. 2 Gallery will release a selection of Whelan’s new drawings. Please contact brock@pt2gallery.com for details and availability.
Ryan Whelan (b. in 1991) is an Oakland-based visual artist whose current practice investigates how connections can create a sense of place. Originally from Torrance, California, Whelan moved to the Bay Area in 2009 to earn his BFA in Printmaking from San Francisco State. In addition to his art practice, he has been working at the Creative Growth Art Center since 2015. Whelan has exhibited in the San Francisco Bay Area at pt. 2 Gallery and Hashimoto Contemporary, in Portland at Stephanie Chefas Projects, and at pt. 2 Gallery and Hey There! Projects in Los Angeles.
Ryan Whelan
”Steep Ravine”
Acrylic, charcoal, and soft pastel on paper
26 x 33.5 inches
Framed in museum glass
2021
Ryan Whelan
”Complex (I)”
Charcoal on paper
26 x 33.5 inches
Framed in museum glass
2021
Ryan Whelan
”Among the Movement”
Acrylic, charcoal, soft paste, and graphite on paper
20 x 26 inches
Framed in museum glass
2021
Ryan Whelan
”Complex (II)”
Charcoal on paper
18 x 24.5 inches
Framed in museum glass
2021