October 11 - November 15, 2012
As artists, we begin making art from a basic need; a drive to be creative; something deep inside that says, “I have a need to make art.” This drive gives us the strength to overcome our own bad work, and it illustrates that our first loyalty is to our vision, not a technique.
Wasmer Art Gallery - Curated by Anica Sturdivant
George Goodridge
The son of an architect and structural steel engineer, Goodridge was born in Youngstown, Ohio and spent his early years in Miami, Florida. He has studied at the School of Visual Arts, New York and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He was also awarded the position of Senior Technical Adviser to the Student Body at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and has taught Visual Techniques at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Since that time he has relocated several times between New York City, Los Angeles and Miami. Best known for his three dimensional paintings, his work has been exhibited in numerous galleries, museums and corporate collections including The United Airlines Corporate Collection, on display at Miami International Airport.
Artist Statement
“The intent of these works has always been to explore concepts, the creation of new
forms and to question ideas pertaining to the concrete world in an abstract way. Being
somewhat ambiguous by intention, these Vertebrate Companions are meant to question
diversity, not only through our visual senses but, also that, which exists in sociological
terms. The relationship between significant parings, attraction and discordance are
approached while striving for invention rather than perceived correctness. Ever present
is the notion that suggests, that when diversity is applied as a union, a richer,
broader and at times unforeseen outcome may possibly be foreseen more often than that
of singularity. “
“These Vertebrate Companions should be thought to be both figurative and abstract, while blurring the lines between sculpture, painting, architecture as well as installation in a near representational way. Although these works have been installed in a specific way, the works have no specific formulas for installation. They may be presented in an infinite number of configurations without compromising their integrity or intended correctness, if in fact correctness does exist.”
“The works are self fabricated from stretched canvas over wood armatures and painted to represent what I refer to as blemishes, which exist in all things in nature and industry making them unique to themselves as all physical entities are. These works are both architecturally and naturally inspired simultaneously, invoking the underlying structures of both buildings and bodies.”
“These works were intended to be more than merely studies in form, color and composition - or even the questioning of ideas pertaining to nature, architecture and behavior. Like all structures, the works possess a solid foundation from which to expand and grow. Both visceral and coolly inert, they are companions in their independent, yet ultimately cohesive nature. “
Sandra Pardo Garcia
Born in Barranquilla, Colombia, Sandra Garcia- Pardo has been involved in art since early years passing through different artistic experiences in her country from the School of Fine Arts to Publishing Design. Thanks to a governmental scholarship, she moved to Argentina to finally materialize her dream of getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts at “Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes Prilidiano Pueyrredón”, the most prestigious art school of Argentina located in the city of Buenos Aires. It was when she began working with steel that she realized she had found a new partner. Knowing this new material, she creates challenging pieces full of abstract concepts of human beings in different stages of life, and as an inevitable part of the society we live in. Garcia- Pardo moved to the USA to continue enriching her artistic talent and to exhibit in different galleries all over the country. Her art is now in private collections in the United States, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Spain and Argentina. Sandra Garcia-Pardo continues working in her studio in the Wynwood Arts District of Miami, Florida.
ARTIST STATEMENT
“Art is my only trait. Through it I found an easy way to express myself when I create. It is when I enjoy the limitless of imagination to start digging feelings, thoughts or situations, to come out with conceptual abstract pieces surrounded by a figurative expression of human life: the good and the bad not matter what they are. I wish the spectator appreciates and identifies with the expression of my art which usually has an indirect influence of the greatest artists like David Smith, Di Suvero, Oldenburg, Ramirez Villamizar, Negret, the Bauhaus, and the Baroque Masters whom make me feel inspired by their discipline and dedication on art. I am self demanding and I do not let traditions overrule my intentions. I create with no fears letting the thoughts melt in my art: plenty of simplicity, no ornaments, just honest.”
Jeffrey Scott Lewis
Born in Barranquilla, Colombia, Sandra Garcia- Pardo has been involved in art since early years passing through different artistic experiences in her country from the School of Fine Arts to Publishing Design. Thanks to a governmental scholarship, she moved to Argentina to finally materialize her dream of getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts at “Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes Prilidiano Pueyrredón”, the most prestigious art school of Argentina located in the city of Buenos Aires. It was when she began working with steel that she realized she had found a new partner. Knowing this new material, she creates challenging pieces full of abstract concepts of human beings in different stages of life, and as an inevitable part of the society we live in. Garcia- Pardo moved to the USA to continue enriching her artistic talent and to exhibit in different galleries all over the country. Her art is now in private collections in the United States, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Spain and Argentina. Sandra Garcia-Pardo continues working in her studio in the Wynwood Arts District of Miami, Florida.
Artist Statement
“The images relate to self-acceptance and the shedding of layers of false identity. Life is a process and self-acceptance Is part of that maturation. Deception creates walls that prevent us from knowing our true selves or each other. Metaphorically, these images translate that process and capture the sense of relief that comes with acknowledging, and ultimately loving, the person we were created to be. The images are sometimes embryonic in their visuals, which relates back to who we are meant to be as individuals. Other images are stretched and explosive as if breaking free of the expectations of others. Gentle yet violent.”
“Is it painting or is it photography? Is it sculpture or is it painting? Is it photography or is it sculpture? Is it abstract or is that an arm? Is that skin or is that paint?”
“I do not consider myself a photographer. I am a mixed media artist experimenting with digital technology as a step towards an image that is a moment in time of my own orchestration and effort. The phrase “mixed media” is rustic in it’s two-word description of my materials and output. These works are a synthesis of painting, performance, photography, computer, metal and heat.”
“The body painting that is photographed is done with liquid latex. Latex is a man-made substance used primarily today as a barrier. It can be a barrier to infection in medical fields or as a barrier to intimacy in sexual activities. Latex typically forms a thin layer of separation between humankind and the rest of life. The images in this series are of mankind breaking the barriers that offer the so-called protection of conformity. The organic quality of the latex as it is pulled off the body comes from the wrinkles and pores of the skin, which scale and distort with the tension, yet remain.”
Jessica Tam
Tam recently returned from FGCU's first Artist Residency and Exchange Program in Brittany, France. Prior to teaching at FGCU, she was a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship Recipient at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and an Al Held Affiliated Fellow at the American Academy in Rome. Her work has been exhibited in New York at Schroeder Romero Galley and Slag Gallery as well as in Chicago at LG Space. She received a BA from Dartmouth College, BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and MFA from the Yale School of Art. She currently lives and works in Amherst, Massachusetts.
Artist Statement
“People are right when they say this is a violent sport. You must have violence in you to do it. . . Naturally I do not stand around and growl at people on the streets. But I am basically very easily aroused. You just learn to control it . . . I concentrate on being a gentleman . . . I think the real temperaments of men come out in the ring. Theatrics? Maybe so, to make it even more exciting for the crowd. But nobody tells you what to do, and I think the real person comes out in the ring, the man you can’t be on the street. Look very close, you will see what I mean.” -wrestler Bronko Lubich
“My work uses the spectacle of professional wrestling as a starting point for abstracted painted struggles. For the past few years, I have examined how, in American professional wrestling, the ring is used as a specific space to entertain and stage extreme and violent human interactions. Painting presents a similar platform to study touch, drama, and the collision of abstracted form, humorous compositions, and repetitive figurative imagery. The humanity in wrestling is shown likewise through a rich blend of tones—through sport, theater, dance, comic entertainment, and tragedy. Wrestling’s impact on the audience is founded on the hybridity of disparate tones simultaneously working in concert. I am interested in researching that collision and mutual dependence in my painting.”
