The art of Patricia A. Griffin teeters on several planes—impressionism, realism, pointillism—all of which culminate in an aesthetic that immediately identifies it as a Griffin painting. The artist is drawn toward North American wildlife, capturing their fur, feathers and flesh with brushes, palette knives and oils.
Paint Brush Dance, oil on linen, 9 x 12 in.
When asked what free artistic expression means to Griffin, she says, “Free to make decisions, to take risks, to create a momentum in a direction of choice, to not be hindered by expectation. Art is communication, harnessing a vision and offering it to be perceived by another. Expression is the release of human emotion.”
Griffin will be exploring this idea of untethered expression in a new solo show at Gallery Wild titled Avante Garde, a ubiquitous term in the art world that means “introducing experimental or unusual ideas.”
Ted at the Thermals, oil on linen, 40 x 30 in.
“Her work offers a fresh, contemporary narrative that honors tradition while pushing boundaries in both subject and style. Patricia has this incredible way of taking something as familiar as a bison or a mountain range and transforming it into something almost otherworldly through her impressionistic brushwork,” says Carrie Wild, owner of Gallery Wild. “What’s exciting about this show is how it challenges the viewer to see the Western landscape not just as a place, but as an experience—layered, vibrant and emotionally charged…Avante Garde is a celebration of the evolving spirit of the West, both wild and reflective, and it firmly places Patricia at the forefront of artists who are redefining what Western art can be today.”
More Than a Number 399, oil on linen, 30 x 30 in.
Paintings in the upcoming show feature subjects like black and brown bears, bison, wolves, wildflowers framed by towering pine trees and more.
“It all comes through my vision. I am blessed with eyes that see: a myriad of color, the vibration of a subject, a pulse between light and shadow and depth transformed by air particulates,” says Griffin. “The work style is an evolution of learning how to translate these optics and building form and place through infinite layers of buttery pigment. Thick strokes [and] thin drippy washes, become an oscillation that manifests in the eye. Each placement of chroma reacts to the ones surrounding it, creating movement and harmony that form in the eye of the conscious.”
Waking Up, oil on linen, 30 x 30 in.
Avante Garde will hang from July 4 to 14 with an artist reception on opening day from 2 to 8 p.m. —
Gallery Wild 80 W. Broadway » Jackson Hole, WY 83001 » (307) 203-2322 » www.gallerywild.com
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