Backgrounds
Paintings of wildlife
While the Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival will be up and running midseptember, exciting and noteworthy shows will coincide with the festival. Gallery Wild will be hosting Backgrounds, from September 14 through September 20, that will highlight the contemporary splendor of Carrie Wild, Julie T. Chapman, Larry Moore and Patricia Griffin. Each artist calls attention to the environment, or background of the animal and wildlife genre they depict.
Backgrounds has many surprises, including some unique perspectives, such as in the work of Julie T. Chapman. “I consider my approach to be part of a movement called disrupted realism,” she explains. “In a larger sense, we are living in an era when disruption (political, social, environmental) is the ‘new normal‘ and, as an artist, I am a storyteller in this; I give the stage to other inhabitants on our fragile ark.”
In (Color Jumble) Black is Beautiful #2, one can see Chapman’s “disruptive” style in how she abstracts her two animal subjects. She only shows what is essential, leaving the rest to the viewer. Chapman has also implemented mixed media in her new work, using acrylic and oil paint, and drawing in chalk or pastel.
Larry Moore also speaks to larger issues with his animal paintings, such as in Cloister, showing a flock of sheep in an enclosed building. “While my work could be summed up as animals in a room, they are each specific allegories and narratives about man’s relationship to nature,” says Moore. “Cloister is about belief systems and tribalism.”
Moore utilizes color against neutrals, sharp definition against soft focus, pattern and rest to achieve his message of juxtaposition; man
versus nature.
Viewers get even more of a treat in the stunning work of Patricia A. Griffin, who showcases her animal subjects against a simple background, “allowing the eye to rest due to the fractals of colors combined, [that] vibrate to create the energy force of a living being,” she says. “Vague fields of color and white backgrounds highlight my muse. The lack of some identifiable location or environment allows the viewer to create a personal interaction and interpretation.”
As seen in Adonis, the bear subject shines brightly with such a minimal background. Griffin’s style, along with her bold use of color, truly creates a sense of movement that inspires and speaks to the viewer.
Each artist brings their own distinctive flare to the show by creatively using “background” as a way to communicate valuable messages and demonstrate all around beautiful work. An artist reception will be held September 16 and Gallery Wild will be expanding gallery hours, from 1 to 7 p.m., to help stagger visitors for a safer environment.