linen canvas

linen canvas
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Fourteen paintings and drawings incorporating images of war and historical battles are on display at the Saginaw Valley State University Art Gallery.And all are the work of Matthew Zivich, a professor of art at the school. Zivich, 71, lives in Thomas Township."Recent Works From the Americana Series" remains on display through Saturday, Jan. 31 -- with a meet the artist reception running from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22.David A. Sommers The Saginaw News

Matthew Zivich, 71, of Thomas Township in front of two of his pieces on display at the "Matthew Zivich: Recent Works" exhibition from his Americana series at the Saginaw Valley State University Art Gallery. At left is Untitled, (Icarus), 2008 Acrylic about linen canvas at right is Flaps, 2004 Acrylic on linen. He is a professor at the school."Almost all of the imagery, with the exception of the oldest painting, 'Flaps,' (2004, an oil on linen), use war and battle imagery appropriated from various sites on the Internet," says Zivich of his creative process of cutting up and painting ."They are enlarged copies that have been downloaded, enlarged several times to the specific sizes of the respective canvases and then traced onto the linen canvas or drawing paper. David A. Sommers The Saginaw News,Flu-Like Symptoms, 2008, Acrylic on linen from the "Matthew Zivich: Recent Works" exhibition from his Americana series at the Saginaw Valley State University art painting Gallery."That's after the imagery goes through a process of cutting and splicing and photocoping yet another time (thus creating images, often abstract ones, far different from the orginals). This process saves a lot of time particularly for the necessary enlargements and accuracy of detail and proportion that is very much needed for my expressive purposes."

The pieces range in size from a 54-inch to 60-inch "basically bathtub caulk" linen canvas rendering of a battleship at sea to an 18-inch by 24-inch work created with tinted felt-tip pens and acrylic paint on canvas.Pen and ink, acrylic paint, mixed media and a wallpaper collage media also is reprsented in the show.The wars involved include the Mexican War, Civil War, World Wars I and II, "all the popular ones of our textbook past, particularly the ones that have had a lasting affect on our contemporary culture"And while they are ostensibly about U.S. history, figure painting they're really all about the paradox of surface versus illusion. Create an illusion then deny it."For example, caulk is a non-art medium that calls strong attention to the surface of the painting despite the illusion of a ship."David A. Sommers The Saginaw News.Untitled, (1905), 2007, Acrylic latex and tar caulk, shellac on linen canvas from the "Matthew Zivich: Recent Works" exhibition from his Americana series at the Saginaw Valley State University Art Gallery.Zivich also like to play mind games with viewers.