Gary Jo Gardenhire, US/Italy
Quilt GP, 2013.
About:
I was born in Kansas, USA in 1954. I received my BA degree in Anthropology from Antioch College, Ohio in 1976. I began to paint seriously while studying at Pratt Institute, New York, where I received the masters degree in 1983. After a year of figure drawing at Ecole des Beaux Arts, Paris, I moved to Italy and have lived here for 27 years.
Fungi, 2012.
Italy has taken me on a singular orbit. I paint largely isolated from other artists, galleries and museums in rural Umbria. I travel in Italy and to London and New York to see current shows. Much of my work is commissioned and I regularly show in Italy.
Cerebral palsy has affected my style and the way I apply paint. Much of the physical therapy I received as a child was made up of highly repetitious tasks. The pattern paintings came naturally from this early training.
Mysterious Garden, 2012.
The oil paintings are more decorative. While they appear spontaneous, the composition are hung on an organised scaffold.
The drawings are all on fairly large sheets of paper and to keep them fresh I work quickly. Figure drawing and portrait drawing are sensitive processes and require straight-forward clear observation.
Rings, 2012.
The sculptures are a new part of my repertoire and are more experimental. Assembling bits of metal, bottle caps or moulded cement show a repetition that is recalled in the paintings.
Striped Squares, 2011.
Part of my intention in creating this website is to engage with a wider audience and to receive feedback so let me hear from you.