Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Show Opening


CANT
Acrylic on paper, 22" x 30
$1200, framed--email for purchase

"Over Home", an exhibition of my aerial landscapes opens at the beautiful Pendleton Center for the Arts this Thursday, September 5th, with a reception from 5:30 to 7:00 PM. The show will be up through September 28th. Here's the statement I wrote for the exhibit:

These recent paintings are meditations on landscape inspired by aerial views. Google Earth has made astronauts of us all. I’ve spent many hours floating virtually over the globe, studying the natural organic forms of the earth's surface. The relationship of macro to micro is inescapable: viewed from above, a twining river fans out across a vast delta in perfect replica of the network of arteries running down my arm. I'm especially intrigued by those points of intersection where we humans leave our mark, superimposing our own geometry over the natural patterns of the land.

I didn't make these designs up, they already exist in the world. Although the forms in these paintings are abstracted and color is freely invented, their underlying structure remains true to the actual places--somehow that is important to me. The landscapes that inspired the paintings exist all over the planet, from the valley where I live to far-flung places I’ll no doubt never see in person. Even so, I feel a strong sense that they are all connected.

Astronauts often speak of the emotional and transformative experience of seeing the earth whole--a beautiful, tiny and vulnerable-looking blue marble floating in an unimaginable vastness. Invariably they come away with a profound recognition of our connectedness and interdependence, and a deepened understanding of how important it is to treasure and protect our only home in the universe.

In addition to these works there will be a separate section showing a few of my realist "Winslow" paintings. Hope to see you at the opening!


5 comments:

Gary L. Everest said...

Hi Don,
These aerial abstracts really resonate with me. You may know that I was a Naval Aviator for twenty years and share your fascination with our world seen from above.
I'm guessing since you're having a show, "maybe" you're getting settled in Portland? Hard to know for sure, since the show is in Pendleton. Is this show a last hurrah?
Whatever...best of luck, knock 'em dead and have fun.
Sincerely,
Gary.

Don Gray said...

Hey Gary--great to hear from you. Yes, I knew you flew jets. You've witnessed views of the earth few of us are privileged to see, except maybe a glimpse now and then out the window of an airliner.

Good intuition on our move--we just bought a home across the river in west Vancouver. It's very quiet and secluded--overlooks the Salmon Creek Greenway and trail system--not too far from Sauvie Island. We're very excited!

Looks like you're having a great time in Hawaii--thanks for the nice note!

Katherine said...

Don I am so glad you posted your artist's statement as I had meant to read it at the show and forgot. I love what you wrote. I especially relate to the macro and micro mirroring each other. Anyhow, it is a stunning show.Congratulations again.

Don Gray said...

Hi Katherine--thanks for coming to the show and thanks for all your support. Happy painting to you!

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