Opening Reception
Friday, July 21, 2017; 5-9 pm
Saturday, July 22, 2017; 12-5 pm

Final-Final: A Vietnam vet’s plight with PTSD through his art showcases the abstract paintings by the late artist, Jim Finnerty. On display will be 20 pieces from his painting career. This is the first gallery exhibition of the artist’s work since his passing in 2016.

Jim Finnerty went to the Layton School of Art to study commercial art before enlisting with the Army in 1967-68, which included a year of deployment to Saigon. He served as a military police officer in charge of investigating accidents involving military vehicles. Upon returning to Wisconsin, Finnerty finished his degree and established a successful graphic design business, DesignCor.

In 2008, Jim was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after seeking treatment with the Milwaukee VA Medical Center. It was through the VA that he began to use painting as a meditative act to deal with his trauma. He devoted himself to his painting and in 2010 took second place in the National Veterans Arts Competition with his piece, “Year of the Monkey”.

His paintings are abstract departures from landscapes, focusing on the actions of color on the horizon. Creating a balance between the calmness of the horizon and the full emotion of his saturated pigments, Finnerty applies the paint with palette knives, sponges and rags. Writing for “Caggio Blog: an Art Experiment” in 2010, blogger Maureen Mulhern observed the tension of a graphic designer creating spontaneous, abstract forms:

“Choosing to work not from photography, but rather from a vibrant library of memories categorized by color and texture, Finnerty's paintings provide a balance of recognizable to purely abstract and emotive representations. In color fields of rough geometry lies a structure by which memories are placed like elements in a pictorial space, creating strong compositions varying in mood. As concept is key, the artist uses his superb understanding of color to inform his process--one that is remarkably spontaneous!”

Join us as we pay tribute to a man whose life and talent were taken from us too soon.

Gallery Hours:
Saturdays 12-5 pm and weekdays by appointment.
Show runs through September 22, 2017.