{9} Presents TJ Oxley: Vanishing Point

PHOENIX - May 21, 2019 - PRLog -- {9} presents Vanishing Point, a new series by Arizona-based acrylic painter TJ Oxley, opening First Friday, June 7th, 6-10 PM at {9} The Gallery, 1229 Grand Avenue, Phoenix, AZ. Through this series, Oxley creates a dialogue around environmental awareness and the threats endangering animal species on our planet. His haunting works quiver with the essence of near loss; a point of disappearance.

In March 2018, TJ Oxley was deeply moved by the death of a rhinoceros named "Sudan," the last male Northern White Rhino in the world.  Inspired by Sudan's story, Oxley began painting larger mammals whose existence was either endangered or threatened and whose ancestors, now distant Paleolithic animals, were memorialized in the cave paintings of Chauvet and Lascaux: an elephant, a bison, and a rhinoceros. The faded impressions of extinct species suspended in the cave paintings motivated Oxley to try to capture the sense of obscurity in his work; a vanishing point.

Painting such large, powerful animals also caused Oxley to think about the potential endangerment of the smaller, delicate creatures of the planet, specifically butterflies: "I started painting butterflies because I felt it would be a tragic, dark legacy to see creature's representative of transformation, so beautifully fragile and ephemeral, lost from our view for all time." – TJ Oxley. As a result, Vanishing Point is comprised of Oxley's larger mammal paintings and several smaller butterfly works, a humble reminder that history has the potential to repeat itself.

"I hope the beauty, intensity and tranquility of butterflies will transform you into a person who works to conserve the biological heritage of our planet. Because if we can save butterflies, we can save ourselves." Jeffery Glassberg, "The Swift Guide to Butterflies of North America"

TJ Oxley: Vanishing Point runs through the month of June at {9} The Gallery.

{9} The Gallery is a contemporary art gallery located in Phoenix's Historic Grand Avenue District. Founded in 2012, the gallery is committed to showing local, national, and international artists of the highest quality. {9} also incorporates music, poetry, and fashion to create an overall creative environment for self-expression in the downtown Phoenix area. The gallery is open Fridays and Saturdays from 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM and by appointment by calling (480) 454-5929. Discover more at https://9thegallery.com.