ARTIST STATEMENT
For a behind-the-scenes discussion about this new work, view Stories from the Studio: Bryan David Griffith
My work explores the fraught relationship between humanity and the natural world through curiosity and experimentation. I investigate how apparent dichotomies like life and death, forest and fire, are interrelated parts of an ecological whole that is constantly evolving. I juxtapose organic and geometric elements to create work that is both earthy and ethereal, both simple and profound.
I root my paintings in place and season by incorporating natural materials and processes into my work. I use dyes, toners, and pigments prepared from plants and minerals foraged near my home. I include the forms of local flora through a process I discovered of recording their shadows. Instead of photo-sensitive chemicals, this process manipulates the drying and wicking properties of certain natural dyes to form an image under the intense energy of the Arizona sun. After fixing the image, I stain the canvas with layer upon layer of dilute dyes, pigments, and acrylic paint. These subtle layers reveal themselves gradually with extended viewing, bringing the dimension of time to the two-dimensional surface.
My intent is to create simple but elusive paintings that beckon a hectic world to pause, connect more deeply, and reflect on the greater mysteries of life on our planet.