Chase Lanier – Within the Margin of Err/or
August 28 - October 24, 2025Chase Lanier began producing art to make sense of the physical world around him and his experience of it. He paid close attention to how everything was organized and trained his hand to replicate what he observed. Soon he was assigning personal meaning to shapes and colors while simultaneously using fire to infuse patterns found in nature. Precise delineation and color experimentation came next, leading to the documenting of time and the passing moment.
The visual narrative he has created attempts to give form to the unseen. Intrigue is the guiding force in his work, enabling exploration of form and meaning that will invite visitors to contemplate the spaces between tension and release. As intrigue begins the journey, the engagement of the viewer is the destination.
In his view, the creative process has its similarities to the scientific process. Lanier approaches projects as inquiry and a visually exploration of possibilities. Discoveries in one project find their application in the next, with play being a critical step in the process. Lanier completed two Bachelors of Fine Arts at the University of Georgia: one in Studio Art, painting and one in Art Education. He has worked in an educational capacity with high school students, pre-K children, and veterans. He occasionally visits summer camps, after-school programs, and museum workshops to share his creative process. He currently teaches art at Academy of Richmond County in Augusta, GA. He has participated in juried exhibitions, including ArtFields and Westobou Festival in Augusta, GA, curated a variety of group shows, and shown independently over the last 20 years.
Eric Lachance, SCGA curator and assistant director observes, “Lanier first came to my attention as the guest designer for Jones-Carter Gallery and TRAX Gallery for ArtFields 2024. The durable and robust, carapace-like works belie his unassuming media. Vines, intentionally shaped and dried, are assembled and worked with resins and shellac. Glossy and matt textures in striking colors and patterns invite us closer as a carnivorous plant might. Thread and wire interact, stretching and pulling one another, constantly balancing and offering viewers the chance to shift their perspective.” Lanier was one of the Sumter Gallery’s Southeastern Partners Exhibition Award winners from the 2024 ArtFields Competition.
Lanier Artist Statement: I like the experience of familiar novelty. Something you recognize in the back of your memory which you’ve never seen before. Implementing the most pragmatic materials available, I use accumulative mark-making to document the intersection of forces. I factor in how I believe a piece should “move” as it is created and allow for inevitable deviations to guide the artwork to its final state. This is all completed as a meditation on a theme, riffing on a motif, or pure discovery through play, enabling time to be recorded in the artifact.
Everything the gallery presents is made possible by individual, business and institutional support. Our generous sponsors include First Citizens, FTC and Andrea Williams and Clay Goss. Ongoing support includes Sumter County Government, the South Carolina Arts Commission, The National Endowments for the Arts, the Williams-Brice-Edwards Charitable Trust and our generous gallery members.
