If you're going to be near the Oregon coast in June or July, please stop in Astoria and see my solo show at
RiverSea Gallery.
Preview the show online here: http://riverseagallery.squarespace.com/artists-2d/don-gray/
Here's the statement I wrote for the show:
"I’ve always been intrigued by that exact tipping point when paint ceases to be just paint, and this other 'thing' appears. Almost magically, a welter of marks and colors can coalesce into something we recognize: a tree, a face, a seascape.
The works in this show address oceanic or coastal themes, but they are really about where that tipping point of perception resides. All of them began with the same process: random lines and colors rapidly applied to the panels. There was no pre-determined idea of what the paintings would look like, beyond the vague notion of having something to do with the ocean. I gave myself over to intuitive process, allowing each painting to travel where it seemed to want to go. Some chose to stay more or less abstract, others demanded more specific levels of depiction. They raised questions for me. How many, or few, visual “cues” do we need to recognize a subject or concept? What does it mean if we say a painting is “abstract” or “representational”? Where does one leave off and the other begin? Are they really separate things at all?
All these paintings are imagined inventions. All, in one way or another, dance around with the idea of how we comprehend what we see."
"Stormcatcher"
RiverSea Gallery.
Preview the show online here: http://riverseagallery.squarespace.com/artists-2d/don-gray/
Here's the statement I wrote for the show:
"I’ve always been intrigued by that exact tipping point when paint ceases to be just paint, and this other 'thing' appears. Almost magically, a welter of marks and colors can coalesce into something we recognize: a tree, a face, a seascape.
The works in this show address oceanic or coastal themes, but they are really about where that tipping point of perception resides. All of them began with the same process: random lines and colors rapidly applied to the panels. There was no pre-determined idea of what the paintings would look like, beyond the vague notion of having something to do with the ocean. I gave myself over to intuitive process, allowing each painting to travel where it seemed to want to go. Some chose to stay more or less abstract, others demanded more specific levels of depiction. They raised questions for me. How many, or few, visual “cues” do we need to recognize a subject or concept? What does it mean if we say a painting is “abstract” or “representational”? Where does one leave off and the other begin? Are they really separate things at all?
All these paintings are imagined inventions. All, in one way or another, dance around with the idea of how we comprehend what we see."
"Stormcatcher"
"Ascent"
"Jetty"
"Expanse 2"
9 comments:
Congratulations on your solo show. Great theme and variety of interpretations that capture the many moods of the ocean. Interesting to see the interplay of abstraction and impressionism - they work well together.
Thanks, Gayle. I appreciate your kind words.
Hi Don,
Wow! I just took a look at the gallery preview and really loved the work, especially the seascapes, the climbing gull and just about everything else!
Hope the show is all you've hoped for!
Sincerely,
Gary.
Hope the show proves a great experience for you Don, lots of visitors and many interesting conversations. Your statement rang true for me. Paintings "do" develop a life of their own in process. How far it controls us and how far we control it would demand a study of the brain's intuitive abilities to know. Making choices and letting choices be made. That seems to be what it is all about. You have some good stuff up there Don. I am sure it will be much valued and appreciated.
Thanks a bunch, Gary--appreciate hearing from you, as always!
Sheila--the show went very well, with lots of people attending. Made several sales and had some interesting conversations. I'll post an update on the show soon. Thanks for your note.
Just discovered you and your art ... the last pic of the ocean takes my breath away ... how can I buy it? Love, cat.
Thanks, Cat. By the "last pic" I assume you're referring to the dark ocean painting called "Expanse 2". It has been sold. You can preview the entire show online here: http://riverseagallery.squarespace.com/artists-2d/don-gray/. If you would like to purchase one, contact the gallery directly: 503-325-1270.
Lovely work, I really appreciate your work. The last picture is awesome. The color combination is fantastic.
Post a Comment