Larry Groff
Paintings | Drawings | Experiments
October 3 – 28, 2023
Reception for the Artist: Thursday, Oct. 5th, 5-8pm
Artist Talk/Walkthrough: Saturday, Oct. 14th 4pm
Flipped is my solo exhibition of 25+ new paintings, drawings, prints, and experiments that explore an eclectic mix of subjects and styles.
The title Flipped reflects the spirit of my new interiors and imaginary landscapes where the perspective and picture plane have been turned inside-out. A flipping not just of the space but also the style and subject matter.
Many pictures here use geometric divisions and alignment of elements to the picture plane to suggest the type of flattened space that might be seen in Indian miniatures, Medieval paintings, and many modern paintings. What might be different is the coexistence of these pictures’ flat patterns and colors with naturalistic light and forms, which are made more for their expressive compositional potential rather than making a convincingly illusionistic space.
In the spirit of how Mark Tobey’s “white writing” automatic drawing style or Gregory Gillespie’s “rorschaching” approach to painting, my pictures often are only loosely planned; instead, the motif and forms gradually emerge or retreat from an automatic drawing process of gestural marks, accidents, and erasures. I then selectively refine and solidify these apparitions into a compositional structure. This is readily seen in my series of walnut ink (crystals) drawings, using pen, brush, and ink on Yupo paper of invented and abstract landscape spaces.
Recent sources of inspiration come from a “mashup” of disparate sources, such as mixing the patterns of Vuillard with the grids of Paul Klee. Or improvising on the compositional wonders of Bruegel and Poussin with the figurative expressions of Max Beckmann or Paula Rego. Another great source of visual delight comes from my love of Mexican and African folk art, ancient terracotta figurines, and early modernist-surrealist sculpture and paintings. These works rarely have any direct meaning; they instead invite the viewer to imagine their own.
Also included in this show are a few paintings and prints from early 2020 that are more experimental, abstract, or surreal. Some are made with collaged or augmented digital imagery that I made on my computer using a variety of digital sculpting and 3D applications. These works form an essential link to larger oil paintings in the show.
This new work traces my search for a temporary aesthetic refuge from being “flipped out” from the madness of today’s news headlines, such as climate change, dystopian politics, the pandemic, and inequality. Wanting to avoid continual frustration and anger, I’ve tried to channel my focus on finding new ways to make art that is not only great fun, but that could also offer visual solace and wonder. Painting won’t ever change the world, but great pictures help provide another reason to keep it all going.
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Click to purchase the Catalog for this show on Amazon »
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Click to read my Interview with a CriticBot »
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Click to view and/or purchase my work on artsy.net/larry-groff »
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Link to the Prince Street Gallery »
Excellence essay on your new work, Larry. Very insightful.