VERO BEACH — Ron Van Sweringen is a nationally recognized artist known primarily as the creator of “Astroism,” an original form of abstract expressionism that has been exhibited in museums and galleries from Washington to Orlando.
Now he is presenting 25 paintings and constructions created in four different genres at Lighthouse Art and Framing Gallery in Vero Beach. These works, all created in 2012, represent the full gamut of his enormous and eclectic talents.
Van Sweringen, who grew up in Virginia and is now a resident of Vero Beach, has been creating memorable art for over 50 years and has had his work presented in prestigious venues such as the Reagan White House and the Menello Art Museum.
His early works were inspired by the French Impressionists, a style that is represented in this show. Late in his career he began the move toward abstraction and developed a technique for literally throwing paint at the canvas, a style he dubbed “Astroism.” It was with this colorful and energetic format that he found some of his greatest success.
Then, in 2011, he suddenly and inexplicably began to move back to the Impressionist style and began a series of beach scenes that were featured at Lighthouse Gallery to great acclaim. Doing this prolific period he began to diverge as well into a more primitive form that emphasized and illustrated some of his earliest memories of Florida, a place he first visited as a young man in the Navy.
Then, in mid 2012, he decided to return to his abstract style but now with a new twist. He began to add found objects to the canvas and created yet another technique he refers to as “Constructed Astroism.”
All these styles are represented in this show as Van Sweringen hopes to represent the full range of his imaginative, emotional, and colorful world of art.
“Many people have commented on the different styles I paint in from time to time. I can only say that they all live within me, and each in turn has its moment, one at a time. They compliment each other and live together happily. As to my favorite, how can you love one child more than another? They are all my children; only some are more demanding than others,“ Van Sweringen explained when putting his career in perspective.
“My World” will be on view for the month of December.
The Gallery is open Monday through Saturday.
Details can be read at www.LighthouseArtAndFraming.com.