McKinney, Texas -- While abstract art can be difficult to explain and sometimes even more difficult to understand it has the ability to resonate deeply and evoke intense emotional responses. From the book Pictures of Nothing comprised of six Mellon Lectures presented at the National Gallery of Art in Washington in 2003 by the late Kirk Varnedoe, art historian and former chief curator of painting and sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art, there are two quotes that help to articulate the allure of the abstract: "It is satisfying, in part, because it provides the feeling that we are attending to the present, not the past" and "the less there is to look at, the more you have to look, the more you have to be in the picture."

Laura Moore Fine Art Studios debuts the latest minimalist abstract works by Jeffrey Cortland Jones in the exhibition "After, Closer." The exhibition features subtly nuanced abstracts created with enamel on acrylic panels. Jones cites music and bands, specifically Joy Division and its later incarnation, New Order, as an influence on this series.

He shares that, "There is something about the sparseness, complexity, darkness and lightness about the two bands that I have loved since first hearing them as an extremely young kid back in the early '80s."

"After, Closer" references what came after the album Closer - Joy Division's second and final studio album. The titles of the paintings all reference titles of New Order tracks.

Jones is an Associate Professor at the University of Dayton where he is the head of the Painting program. He is represented by Kathryn Markel Fine Arts, New York and Phyllis Weston Gallery, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Meet Jones during opening night for the exhibition "After, Closer" on Saturday, March 9 from 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. through April 6, 2013, at Laura Moore Fine Art Studios, 107 S. Tennessee in McKinney, Texas. Gallery Hours: Thu-Sat 11am-5pm, 2nd Saturday 11am-10pm, or by appointment. Free admission. 214.914.3630. www.lauramooreart.com