Carol Summers is renowned for his vivid colors and the revolutionary woodblock techniques he introduced in the 1960’s. In the course of printing he frequently uses solvents to transform the pigments into dyes which then tend to penetrate the paper and result in a watercolor effect. This allows for rich colors and soft blurred edges. For his subject matter, Summers draws from a variety of countries and cultures, both exotic and local. Cairo’s Flag and Tuolomne Sunset, for example, reflect his extensive travels abroad and around his home state of California. His most recent print, The Torture President’s Legacy, shows that Summers does not shy away from political statements. Although his work is traditionaly known for its big, bold, beautiful forms and joyous colors. These saturated colors and exuberant shapes can also be effective in expressing contemporary issues.
Summers’ work has been widely collected for decades and is held in the following museum collections: The Art Institute of Chicago; Biblioteque National, Paris; Brooklyn Museum of Fine Arts, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington; Los Angeles County Museum; Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art, New York; The National Museum of Art, Washington; and the Seattle Art Museum.
• Recent Exhibitions: Color Woodcuts, January 2008
http://www.davidsongalleries.com/artists/summers/summers.php