Eye of the storm

A young man, desperate and hopeful, looks into a cloud-filled, stormy sky and lifts his hands. He begs the rain to fall.

This scene is set in 30 Years Too Late, the Evan Dent show on display at the Northwest Reno Library Gallery.

The show title was adopted after critics compared Dent’s art to works created 30 years earlier. It became a habitual joke among Dent’s friends. The title and the implication of its time frame do not halt Dent or his art.

“When I am creating, the viewer is secondary,” Dent says. “I create art because I am compelled to do so.”

Dent’s works are formed with variations of charcoal, graphite and acrylic on canvas and paper. Strokes and swirls of black and white chaotically are spread through the pieces and dare the spectator to enter the rainstorm. Thunder can almost be heard as eyes focus on the black images. Wind can almost be felt. The storm has arrived.

The works are varied in arrangement but similar in motion and movement. Two canvas pieces hang closely, hugging each other like a set of twins. A closer look determines that the black circles on each canvas are bordered by different backgrounds of black and white.

“I like to work with my hands and see what can be done,” Dent explains. “I receive a great sense of accomplishment as a result.”

Wall coverings inside 8-by-10 frames hang throughout the gallery. The massive pieces expand to meet the limits of the walls, but even in their towering height, they do not diminish their smaller counterparts. The canvas creations hang side by side with the smaller paper pieces situated in groups.

In each storm, there is a clearing, and Dent’s exhibit is no exception. The break comes in the form of a blue splash of sky. The dark clouds are pulled away as the brilliant blue images steal the spotlight. The introduction of azure is calming and welcome like a cool tropic waterfall on a humid day. Shades of navy blue and periwinkle mix with white and glow from their space on the wall. The fog of the darkness has lifted. The thunder has rolled away, leaving only a dry sky of blasting color. The storm has ended.

Various lines curve and connect across the background of the papered visions. The lines sweep from side to middle, darting through the colors, teasing the viewer to decide the direction Dent intended to head.

“I love making marks on paper,” Dent says.

Smaller oil and crayon pieces are housed in a tiny hideaway in the corner of the gallery. The serenity of the surrounding tranquil blue creates the illusion of an untamable, great black storm outside its tiny walls.

Imagination is required to shape the forms on the paper. Depending on the tilt of the head, the images can change slightly or drastically.

“Creating abstracted works gives the viewer the chance to see any image they want to see,” Dent explains about the various interpretations of his pieces. “I love hearing the images the viewers create from my art.”

The show displays only shades of black and blue, but Dent is transitioning into color. He is focusing on a single color at a time as he learns more.

The colors chosen for the gallery are mesmerizing: Blue floats calm, while black stands daring.

It is uncertain if the safety of the blue cave or the open darkness of the stormy sky is preferable. Upon leaving the exhibit, the choice seems inevitable. The gallery’s exit is beyond the storm. It cannot be avoided.