They say, “You can’t go home again,” but the truth may be that you can’t go anywhere again. Each time you return to a place, something will have changed, even if only the light or the weather. Of course, the debate is between whether you or the “home” is the one who has changed. The micro landscapes created by Shawn Krueger capture the substance of a natural scene along with the ephemeral essence that accompanies a place, which may exist in a spot on a map, but only be accessible in memory or in the mind of the artist.

Clearing (19th and Alvord). Oil on linen. 11” x 14”

Krueger draws from the tradition of Tonalism for the nearly fifty oil paintings included in this exhibit. The arts movement, which emerged in the late 1800s, involved landscapes washed in the haze of a particular color which would evoke a mood or tone of the painting. Krueger’s intricately monochromatic works showcase the depth and detail of light and shadow, giving the feeling that you are viewing the painting by candlelight, getting small glimpses of a large and complex work illuminated by the concentrated glow.

Krueger also works within the Arts & Crafts tradition (he says he “sits comfortably in both” that and Tonalism), with a heavy nod to the movement in the dark wooden frames on each of the pieces. The Arts & Crafts aesthetic began in the 1880s in the U.K., where Krueger has spent considerable time traveling and painting, as a response to the increasing industrialization of the era. “You Can’t Go Home Again,” likewise, is full of romantic views of nature, with shaded coves and layered forests that are washed in calm and distinctly present, though existing outside of a particular time.

“You Can’t Go Home Again” by Shawn Krueger is on display in the Harrison Center’s Gallery Annex for the month of September. The exhibit can be viewed in-person by appointment and in our online gallery, where all pieces are available for purchase.

You Can't Go Home Again