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Follow on Google News |  "Images in Abstraction: Paintings by Francine Markoe and Tony Griffith"'Exhibition at James Ratliff Gallery, Hillside Sedona, Sedona, Arizona"
By: James Ratliff Gallery FRANCINE MARKOE “I look around at art a lot,” comments Francine Markoe who regards Sedona as “one of the places I really love”. Sedona elicits a certain kind of spirituality for Markoe and she finds the colors of the area’s rock formations remarkable at varied times of day. A veteran traveler, Markoe also finds inspiration and beauty from lakes, rivers, oceans, mountains and landscapes in her resident State of California. While Markoe chooses not to sketch when traveling, she does take photos to jog her memory but only “works” on flat tables in her studio in Belmont, California. Markoe recalls taking a number of art classes and while not choosing to pursue a degree, she had the support of her teachers who would provide her floor space on which to work. Initially trained in abstract art and fine collage techniques, from the get go, Francine was aware of her own unique process. Markoe reminisces: “I knew and learned a lot from Paul Jenkins and was aware I could never be an artist who painted portraits or still life. She has always used acrylics and poured colors but more recently has added more texture, rocks and other substances. In the old days, I did not use rocks or as much texture. Those images were more abstract and George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch purchased a massive three-part work for its lobby. When the studio was sold, a private client purchased the Lucas’ painting for installation in their residence. Over the years, Markoe discovered the effects of incorporating varied textures on to her canvases. ‘As I began to incorporate textures, clients commented on how much they liked the results.’ She uses sand, pebbles, rocks and thin slabs of stone which she incorporates spontaneously. In fact, as a respecter of nature and a woman of singular taste, Markoe purchases her stone solely from a purveyor in Oregon because it’s “just right”! It’s not difficult to imagine that Markoe went to local children’s playgrounds in area parks to initially collect bits of sand when she wanted to explore incorporating that as a texture. From there sands were purchased from commercial sources. Nothing that can be sourced misses this artist’s eye. Markoe’ TONY GRIFFITH Tony Griffith is an artist whose conscious, articulate outlook on human history and the human condition have led him to completely dedicate his time and talent to the creation of art as a full-time profession succeeding a previous professional career in IT. IT had provided some creative outlet but also was a setting for Griffith to develop skill sets in coding, organization, project management and “business in general”. 9/11 inspired Griffith to become the artist he always was: “Personally, since the early 1980s, professionally, since the year 2001, specifically after the attacks on 9/11. I needed an outlet to vent my angst and connect with the world on a social and visible basis. 9/11 was a collective assault on our planet which made me rethink society and culture as well as the speed of time passing quickly and my own mortality. For me, an artistic response to 9/11 was very therapeutic. It allowed me to reach out to people even though it was a different way of reaching out. Art is a different level of one-on-one interaction with human beings. And it does survive from generation to generation.” Well educated in art history, it’s not surprising to hear Griffith recount: “Man has recorded his experiences from the beginning of history through language, symbols, architecture and art. Nature is my main inspiration and Idyllwild, CA and the art alliance co-op gallery is where it began. The compositions in much of my work are influenced by the incredible vistas amid the San Jacinto Mountains: The vast backgrounds, foregrounds, textures in the rock and terrain which are so geometric in shape to almost suggest the artifact. There is a tension between man and nature, a constant cause and effect (negatively or positively). Nature can strike back. It’s the balance that I like to show. There’ Griffith states: "The work appears epic in nature, paying homage to the human condition. We survive a lot of challenges in our lives. Everyone goes through personal storms. Today’s world involves the clutter of technological distractions. When viewers look at my work, I want them to sink into it and clear their minds, to reflect and have a personal focus. And upon meditation, realize the surreal paradox of texture and space coexisting on the same surface. The mind is allowed to break through and beyond the “wall”.' 'The onus is on each artist to create a unique aesthetic perception. I create mood and a sensory experience through color, textures proportion and scale. My iconography tends to beprimitive because I want to engage the viewer on a visceral level." Griffith explains: “I’ve always been attracted to the poetic elements of abstract art and surrealism, the sensual impact of paint on surface and the emotional resonance and nostalgia that texture and color can produce. The poured resin surface adds a dimension of depth and organic vibrancy, as if covered by water. The result is a cosmology stripped of time and civilization offering the viewer a place never seen before; a purely spiritual space.” Griffith calls his work “Surreal landscapes and mindscapes of the Southwest”. His influences include surrealism, minimalism, pop art and Buddhism. That’s what happens when you grow up among a family of artists! It can happen to you if you let yourself sink into the works of Francine Markoe and Tony Griffith! For further information about the exhibit or artists, contact James Ratliff Gallery: www.jamesratliffgallery.com 928-282-1404 FineArt@jamesratliffgallery.com End
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