Joshua Tobey & Ewoud de Groot
Modern aesthetics
Asummertime tradition at Astoria Fine Art in Jackson, Wyoming, is its annual Fourth of July showcase featuring the contemporary wildlife of sculptor Joshua Tobey and painter Ewoud de Groot. While working in different mediums, the artists highlight their interest in the natural world through elements such as fluid forms and vibrant colors to elevate their pieces beyond classic aesthetics.
Tobey, who grew up in his father’s sculpture studio in Santa Fe, New Mexico, says he began sculpting wildlife when he realized he could reveal aspects of the human condition through animals. “My work is smooth, and therefore I spend a lot of time on each sculpture. Sculpture begins with shape—one of my father’s principle lessons,” he shares. “The sculpture subject and the composition are the other elements that create a nice sculpture. The second part of my creative process is the patina. I have always loved patinas and color. I design all of my patina compositions for my work, and I do a lot of the patinas on my work myself.”
Among his pieces in the show is Joy of Life, which was inspired by the predator characteristics of the fox. In this sculpture, the fox is depicted in a precise moment in time as
it jumps to catch its prey. “Foxes hunt mice by listening for them in the grass and then jumping high in the air to land where the mouse is. I think the canines exhibit the joy of the hunt like no other predator,” says Tobey. “Using this amazing technique and awesome subject of the fox, I wanted to create a vertical sculpture that depicted both the joy of life from the fox’s perspective and a vertical composition that would be dynamic from any angle.”
De Groot’s wildlife paintings display his interest in a painterly aesthetic by “creating an atmosphere whereby the subject, a bird, is painted more realistically and the background has a more loose or abstract feeling to it,” he says. “It’s this atmosphere but also a tension between the environment and the subject that I’m interested in.”
Growing up in the Netherlands, waders and waterfowl have been constant inspirations for de Groot. The avian creatures alongside the water and the effects of light against the two subjects have long appeared in his paintings. “Later I started exploring ways to paint movement, as in the owl paintings, which is a different approach to the serene, resting birds in the water, of course,” de Groot shares. “For my show at Astoria, I will mix these two styles.”
This year’s exhibition will take place July 1 to 10. Greg Fulton, owner of the gallery says, “Not only does Joshua Tobey unveil his new sculpture for the year at our show, but Ewoud de Groot brings an international following. Putting these two exciting artists together has proven to be an amazing draw for the gallery.”