At the Tongue and Groove Gallery in Downtown DeLand — Carl Knickerbocker: painting to a different drummer

By Pat Hatfield
BEACON STAFF WRITER

posted Sep 15, 2008 - 9:09:29am

The Tongue and Groove Gallery at the Caffé da Vinci in Downtown DeLand is featuring the art of Carl Knickerbocker until Friday, Oct. 10.

Curator Sooz White describes Knickerbocker's paintings as "huge and wonderful." Knickerbocker describes them as "suburban primitive."

The paintings, on large pieces of canvas, deal with symbolic and mythic themes of contemporary life.

The reticent artist said the viewer should "Create your own narrative" to find meaning in the acrylic paintings. "Put yourself in the painting, and discuss it with your friends."

Themes revolving around development and the impact of suburban life on the environment seem to resound in his paintings.

Knickerbocker lives in Oviedo. He's been painting since the early 1990s, and anticipates a show at the DeLand Museum of Art next summer.

In addition to canvas works, he carries his themes to vehicles that might roam his countrysides.

Knickerbocker paints scenes on large magnetic strips, which he then put on his Honda Element. The vehicle, with relatively flat sides, easily accepted the artwork.

Musician Russ White, who plays trombone with local band Coyotes and Town Dogs, put Knickerbocker's art on his own Element. Russ is also curator Sooz White's husband.

Stop by the Tongue and Groove Gallery to take a gander at the Knickerbocker art. The gallery, in the Caffé da Vinci at 112 W. Georgia Ave. in DeLand, is open 5 p.m.-midnight Tuesday-Friday and noon-2 a.m. Saturday. Call (386) 736-4646.

See more Knickerbocker art at the Web site http://carlknickerbocker.com.

— pat@beacononlinenews.com

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