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November 21, 2009

Norman man to exhibit at City Arts Center

Transcript Staff

Norman artist Donald G. Longcrier will be exhibiting in the Eleanor Kirkpatrick Gallery at City Arts Center through Dec. 23. The exhibit opened Thursday at the center, 3000 General Pershing Blvd.

Longcrier, who teaches at Oklahoma City University, holds master's of fine arts and bachelor's in zoology degrees from the University of Oklahoma. He also has taught sculpture, painting drawing and design classes at the University of Oklahoma and in the St. Louis Community College system.

Longcrier produces paintings and sculpture, which he refers to as wall pieces and floor pieces, in a variety of scales and materials. He has exhibited work in Colorado, Missouri, Texas and Oklahoma.

Longcrier's work exhibits both floor and wall pieces as well as large and small. He intends his work to be quiet and contemplative works and executes them as simply as possible to avoid decoration and embellishment. To reach these ends, he finds old objects and materials with the appropriate patinas or colors.

Longcrier said he uses whatever materials are required to create the desired artwork he has envisioned.

"Wax needs a rigid surface and heavy objects require supports strong enough to hold their weight, so I use plywood panels," he said. "I don't manipulate surfaces or distress materials to simulate age or wear.

"My work is very simple. You do not need any particular knowledge or additional information to understand the work. The viewer, and I mean any viewer, is quite capable of looking at and coming to some understanding of most work."

An avid reader and observer of his environment, his travels and the people around him, Longcrier said he aims to interpret his findings and thoughts as simply as possible. From this point, the artist talks to the families of his observations, clarifies his vision and begins to "roam around and find materials that work for what I think I am trying to do."

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