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all content copyright 2006 Chris Purdie |
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Please send comments and questions to info@chrispurdie.com |
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show information |
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Evolution of Artifacts Solo Exhibition by Chris Purdie Losee Center Gallery (UVSC) Art Exhibit: March 2nd - April 6th, 2007 (hours) Artists Reception: Thursday March 8th 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. |
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Losee Center Art Gallery 4th floor of Utah Valley State College Library Parking (see map below) 800 West University Parkway Orem, Utah 84058 (801) 863-INFO
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Planned Process: Chris Purdie and the Evolution of Artifacts Courtney R. Davis, M.A., J.D. From sprouting seeds to fruit-bearing branches, the glory of nature is rooted in quiet patience. Sometimes, growth is unanticipated – like green tendrils that unfurl silently in desolate and unexpected places. Other times, growth is nurtured and cultivated. But always, nature can be neither predicted nor controlled – its beauty exists in the meeting place of order and chaos. Art too flourishes in the realm between structure and spontaneity, technique and expression. Drawing close to the natural world, the artist echoes the rhythm of growth, creating life with the fundamental elements of color, shape, and line. The works of Chris Purdie, as exemplified by his 2007 exhibition, Evolution of Artifacts, showcase the artist’s skill with innovative techniques and the abstract form. As both a visual artist and art theorist, Purdie draws upon the expressive qualities of natural processes by joining method with happening. For Purdie, creation is a form of evolution – evolution that extends well beyond the confines of the artist’s canvas. PLANTING SEEDS The inspiration for Purdie’s latest work developed from a wide range of both life and artistic experiences. Purdie is a student of the arts in terms of both his formal education at Utah Valley State College, from which he will graduate with an Associates of Science in Art in 2007, and his artistic philosophy, which focuses heavily upon experimentation. Rather than follow a deliberate and predictable life course, Purdie discovered art through music: After years working and performing as a drummer in several independent bands, Purdie yearned for the freedom to carve his own creative path. The Utah native, who toured the U.S from coast to coast as a musician, wanted to utilize his own creativity, rather than be confined by band-mates and writers. Purdie’s desire to be in control of his own destiny translated powerfully into his work as he embarked upon a rich and productive period of artistic exploration. Quickly gaining success as a student artist, Purdie’s work caught the eye of both collectors and critics alike – his work has been selected for the permanent collections of both the Utah Valley State College Woodbury Art Museum of Orem, Utah, and the Cowan Gallery of Springville, Utah. In addition to winning several awards and honors, Purdie’s work has also been featured in various publications, such as Touchstones: A Magazine of Literature and Art (2004) as well as on the back and front covers of Electoral College’s 2003 audio CD, Eat the Key. Purdie’s work has also been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions. GROWTH Chris Purdie’s current show, Evolution of Artifacts, on display at the Utah Valley State College Library Gallery, showcases the artist’s growth and development. As a process artist, Purdie draws heavily upon the effects and evolution of nature. Part of being a process artist is embracing the transformative consequences of time and natural processes. As such artists often point out, there are no accidents in nature, for nature abides by its own laws and principles. What many may consider an accident, others may see as alternate paths to creation. The same may be said for Purdie’s work. Rather than formulating stifling blueprints to follow meticulously, Purdie lets process direct his experimentation. In his words, Purdie works with “planned process, not planned result”. Planned process allows Purdie to examine new methods of technique and design. By opening himself up to chance, Purdie is able to discover new artistic approaches and methodologies. For example, the artist recently discovered what he has dubbed “ghost marks” – the negative imprint left behind when matter is embedded into wet paint and then removed after the paint has dried. For Purdie, ghost marks have a strong biological connection – by using water as a vehicle, the artist is able to create lines without using a brush or other implement. By allowing the processes of nature to evolve both his work and his technique, Purdie frees his creativity and expressive abilities – seeming accidents might actually be planned, while what is planned might sprout into accident. For a process artist, time is a dominant component of the final art work. Indeed, Purdie has learned to befriend time, embracing, rather than resisting, the limitations and opportunities inherent in the effects of temporality. It is the journey – the process, that motivates Purdie, who has proclaimed that patience is what sets him apart from his peers. NOURISHMENT Reflecting his analytical approach to artistic expression, Purdie’s seemingly organic technique is balanced by visual structure and arrangement. Purdie’s work is not a free-flow of trial and process, but an exploration of chaos within the boundaries of order. In terms of form, Purdie’s work echoes the geometry of Minimalists Donald Judd and Robert Morris, both of whom highly prized the sanctity of material. As if from the mouth of Morris himself, Purdie asserts that he does not fight against his materials, but only hopes to make them conform to his ideas. But Purdie’s work is by no means an assimilation of artistic styles and theories. Purdie is a purist – a self proclaimed creator of “artist’s art”. Rather than drawing from art historical sources, Purdie focuses on letting “whatever comes out come”. Yet it is difficult to view Purdie’s work without making parallels to historical artists, such as 1960s painters Clyfford Still, Adolph Gottlieb and Robert Motherwell. Purdie shares with the Abstract Expressionist Color Field painters the merging of subtle coloration, iconic forms, heavy texture and symbolic content. As a three-dimensional artist, Purdie’s work also echoes the styles of Ibram Lassaw, who transformed the flowing style of Abstract Expressionism from paint on canvas into multiple dimensions. Working in bronze and steel, Lassaw explored the effect of line and shape in terms of volume and mass, rather than the painted surface. Like Lassaw, Purdie’s three-dimensional works draw upon the effect of contrast, employing a distinct rhythm and structure while at the same time embracing organic shape. By refusing to borrow directly from historical styles or artists, Purdie’s work remains fresh and vibrant. The artist reaches his own conclusions, creating his own historical trail to follow. This independence frees him from the dangers of imitation and banality that so often claim the careers of artists and art students alike. Like organic matter, Purdie draws from the wellspring of inspiration without being affixed to any single source of sustenance. BEARING FRUIT From prehistoric cave paintings to Byzantine icons to Pop art, artists have created systems of expression and visual communication. Artists are creators of signs and symbols, transmitters of thoughts and ideas. Through artwork, we are able to peer inside the mind of the artist, leaving our own world behind us in order to explore a new one. As an artist, one of Chris Purdie’s foremost goals is to inspire and teach others. He admits that in the modern era, finding true soul and passion is an arduous task. Purdie hopes to fill that void – to provide nourishment for his viewers. Indeed, most viewers approach a work of art with two thoughts in mind – what does the work of art mean, and how does it speak to me? To interact with Purdie’s work, the viewer must step into a world of abstraction and symbolism. As a process artist, Purdie’s work focuses on time and the artistic journey. Purdie seeks to replicate the world around him, but from a different perspective than the realist. To fully appreciate the artist’s work, the viewer must be aware that every detail has significance – the richness of the whole is created from a multitude of individual parts. A single mark records a series of processes. Purdie’s work is not about capturing reality, but in communicating feeling and meaning. The viewer must peel back the layers of Purdie’s work in order to appreciate what lies beneath. At their sublevel, the works of art featured in Evolution of Artifacts are rich in symbolism. Purdie’s images are a playground for the dualities of chaos and order, nature and nurture, and dark and light. Almost autobiographically, Purdie’s influences commingle – music, nature, emotion, and religion are all embedded in his works, whether as direct inspiration, such as song lyrics or statements about the music industry, or as subconscious impulses. This tension enables the viewer to access Purdie’s works from different entry points, making the artist’s works approachable to the student and art historian alike. Not surprisingly, Chris Purdie is himself much like the art he creates – behind his hard-edged spectacles and meticulous work ethic lies an introspective personality filled with complexity and creativity. As this is but one step in his journey, we can be assured that Purdie will continue to grow and mature as a both an artist and art theorist. |
