Jerald Silva: Trough Another Looking Glass

Born in Sacramento in 1936, renowned artist Jerald Silva is best known for his large format watercolor paintings. “Through Another Looking Glass” is a selection of over 40 works created from 1971 to the present. With remarkable knowledge, and fascinating command over what is considered the most demanding artistic medium, Silva creates imagery that exists between reality and dream.

Jerald Silva’s creative opus could be organized in three categories: figurative work, portraiture, and landscape. Yet it is the aspect of space and sense of intimacy that defines his artistic exploration. The manner in which each of the pieces deals with composition, understanding of form, and liberation of color is reminiscent of Bonnard. Intentionality in which figures occupy the space, the artist’s close attention to detail and his treatment of interior spaces give to the paintings an atmospheric quality found in the works of Dutch masters.

In his extensive career, Silva spent years working in the solitude of his studio perfecting the skill to capture pivotal moments that transform his work into artwork. This is not an artist who responds to a moment or a trend; rather, he explores possibilities of transcendence through the art, and, yes, he does it with success.