Chris Maynard finds the world in a feather—the amazingly complex structures that keep our avian friends dry and allow them to fly. They are not only complex in their structure but in their patterns and colors. Early on in his exploration of feathers he found patterns matching the alphabet in the feathers of one single species.
His mother was a sumi-e painter and his father was an eye surgeon. Along with the talent genes, Maynard inherited his father’s eye surgery tools which he uses to cut into the perfection of feathers to create his own delicately perfect constructions mounted in shadow boxes.
Call Forth, wild turkey feathers, 25 x 25"
Peacocks strut into empty spaces in peacock feathers to make them whole, like puzzle pieces. Birds fly out of turkey feathers to worship the central supreme bird. Maynard honors the birds, using their naturally shed feathers and showing aspects of their forms in flying in his cut-out silhouettes.
En Trance, peacock feathers, 22 x 18"
His is a world of wonder. Wonder at the beauty and evolutionary development of feathers. Wonder at flight at the edge of the vast cosmos. Our wonder at his skill evolves into our looking more closely at the feathers and appreciating the birds in a different way.
As we become immersed in his work, he reminds us, “Beauty is everywhere. Finding it is just a matter of noticing, slowing down, moving toward it and being surrounded.”
An exhibition of his work will be shown September 17 through October 30 at Gerald Peters Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Upcoming Show
Up to 12 works
Sept. 17-Oct. 30, 2021
Gerald Peters Gallery
1005 Paseo de Peralta
Santa Fe NM 87501
(505) 954-5700
www.gpgallery.com
Powered by Froala Editor
