Images of Eyes Gallery I
Oil Paintings by Jeff Neugebauer
United States

Jeff Neugebauer lives in Mill Valley, California.  Jeff graduated with honors and a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts from Arizona State University where he attended on scholarship for academic and artistic merit.  Jeff debuted his first series of paintings at Phillips Gallery (renamed to Blu Fine Art) in San Jose, California.

A review by John Nassar, Director of Blu Fine Art

---Jeff Neugebauer's paintings complement the rest at our gallery.  We see him as a new rising artist who has talents, skills, and wonderful concepts.  The paintings [in our exhibit included] "Working for the Man," "The Love You Keep," "NeoSlave," and "In Your Image."  Neugebauer's masterful technique in conjunction with innovative concepts convey profound meanings about life via paintings--meanings that resonate with many viewers.

The quoted comments under each painting are those of the artist

"The Love You Keep" by Jeff Neugebauer
Image Copyright © Jeff Neugebauer
Oil on linen 40x30"

"You may wonder, 'Why is the young man holding a cage?'  Look closely and you will see a ‘shadow of love’ on the bottom of the cage.  Is the young man setting love free or trying to capture it?  Is he putting the cage up on the window ledge or taking it down?  The image is an allegory about the elusive nature of love.  I hope you reflect on your own experiences regarding how love is found, kept, cared for, captured, or set free."

 

"The Secret" by Jeff Neugebauer
Image Copyright © Jeff Neugebauer
Oil on linen, 40x50"

"Secrets are interesting things and can have a spectrum of affects on whomever is involved (knowing or not knowing).  In this painting, the bird represents the secret.  The woman is the 'affectee,' curious, listening, thinking, braced against the window sill her torso is wrapped/bound. The contrasting darkness inside the window and lightness outside is also important."

 

"Trinity" by Jeff Neugebauer
Image Copyright © Jeff Neugebauer
Oil on linen 50x68"

"A janitor (a person that cleans up after everyone else) stares out to admire a beautiful sunset.  At his back is the 'Trinity' represented by three empty chairs that appear to float--they appear groundless.  The Trinity 'mystery' of Christian faith states that there is a 'Father,' 'Son,' and 'Holy Ghost' and yet all are the same 'One God.'  The implication of this painting is that the man has turned away from the concept of 'God' as it is taught and used to manipulate people's minds in Christianity and turned toward a 'God' that is beautiful and observable."

 

"Ravens Follow Men Into War" by Jeff Neugebauer
Image Copyright © Jeff Neugebauer
Oil on linen 28x31"

"This painting is a departure from the flat, smooth surface I have used for the last couple of years.  The image is sculpted in very low relief molding paste prior to painting.  I still used the traditional Florentine method on top.

"The concept of war is illusive to me.  I find it ironic that ravens are intelligent enough to follow men into war (and eat the resulting carnage) but men, in spite of our intelligence, have not learned how to avoid war in the first place.  The painting reflects on the contemplation of the  wars we choose--what it means to be a man and a warrior--the idea of where we each take our raven.  Our best battles may be the ones that make ourselves or humankind greater."

 

"In Your Image" by Jeff Neugebauer
Image Copyright © Jeff Neugebauer
Oil on linen 36x48"

"The man and baboon look into each other’s eyes pondering their existence, origins, and purpose as this painting plays with misinterpretations made about the theories of evolution and biblical concepts of "man being made in God's image."  The man may appear to be a 'superior ape' to the baboon, the same way that man projects the image of himself onto his deities.  The man, thinking of himself as superior, sits at a table in the middle of a wasteland that he is responsible for creating.  The baboon exhibits an evolved level of sophistication as he raises his martini (yes, it is visual sarcasm).  Which animal is truly superior?  Which is more God-like?  The 'brothers' toast 'to evolution' while a life-force energy electrifies their hi-tech halos."

 

"Move the Box" by Jeff Neugebauer
Image Copyright © Jeff Neugebauer
Oil on linen 34x32"

"The title 'Move the Box' is suggestive of removing the psychological barriers that limit our knowledge and understanding.  Try it in your mind --move the box.  Think about what the painting would look like if the box were elsewhere.  Now what does the painting say?

“'Move the Box' is about our intangible boundaries and the way they influence our lives.  The man is so preoccupied with the box in front of him that he fails to see the box he is in.  In essence, it is a paradox--both boxes are virtually the same box.  The man would be contemplating his own existence if he was not preoccupied with a box that interferes with his perception and captures his mind’s focus.  The box in front of him obstructs his vision and prevents him from fully seeing and understanding himself; consequently the box confines the world he lives in.

"What box(es) could you move in your life?"

 

"Working for the Man" by Jeff Neugebauer
Image Copyright © Jeff Neugebauer
Oil on linen 52x78"

"The tortoise in this painting has been running mercilessly through the desert for a long time.  Very simply, this painting is about the concept of Empire built by the oppressed working class.  The tortoise, often a symbol of longevity and patience in many cultures, is ridden by its oppressor 'The Man.'  The man dangles the proverbial carrot, which in this case is a small glass jar of water.  The tortoise is running, panting and thirsty in the desert.  The man points to nowhere and demands the turtle takes him there illustrating the futility of the effort.  The Roman helmet is a reference to how the conquering ideology of the Roman Empire survives."

 

"NeoSlave" by Jeff Neugebauer
Image Copyright © Jeff Neugebauer
Oil on canvas 24x24"

"This is an image about oppression and how the middle (working) class are 'slaves to the system.'  Regardless of your ideology, the covert oppression and control over the working class is extensive--especially with contrived wars, inflated fuel prices (essentially a corporate 'taxation'), and pharmaceutical companies that want to sell you expensive pills for any symptom so long as you're never healed.  Our greed and delusions of an imaginary American dream have given capitalism the power to keep us enslaved indefinitely.  Welcome 1984."