A St. Louis artist who last visited Springfield a few years ago is returning to the Queen City to showcase his art at Gailey's Breakfast Cafe in Downtown Springfield.
The “pop-up” gallery will feature art by Rex Batson, 64, who plays with textures in his work. He is known as a “contemporary abstract texturalist” — a label a friend of the artist created for the style.
“While Batson’s art seems futuristic on first blush, his art seems to be rooted in printing presses, newspapers, magazine art, and in some respects a salute to the past,” a press release reads. “Batson is part of a new breed of painters who are changing their mediums in a way they hope will challenge the mind and ask the question why? Some of his work has historic figures juxtaposed to torpedoes. Another piece has a strange trio walking south on Highway 61 just south of Hannibal, Missouri in a trance like state while airplanes drop bombs onto the prairie in the background.”
Batson has displayed his art in Springfield at a First Friday Art Walk in 2019.
“I did a show in Springfield, a very successful show, and the people were extraordinarily kind and open to my art,” Batson said in the release. “This was the summer before COVID. I’m hoping the same experience happens again.”
The exhibit at Gailey's is an example of the changing landscape for artists who want to display and sell their work, according to the release.
“Instead of all the art shows at museums and galleries, artists are now on the street with popup art shows,” the release reads. “Saturday markets now regularly feature local artists along with their tomatoes and avocadoes. Part of these changes in venue for contemporary artists is due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
His art will be on display at Gailey's, 220 East Walnut Street. The cafe is open Saturday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
