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 CASA

 

"The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned".

Maya Angelou

 

 

I have always been fascinated with how people live and the spaces in which they occupy.

Having lived in older dwellings, I have an inherent sense of those that proceeded my inhabitance. How was their everyday life? How did current affairs affect their living situation? What kinds of ceremonies, entertainment, relationships, superstitions and philosophies occupied the space? What did they wear? Were they happy? Were there secret relationships? All walls contain secrets.

This is what I think when I ponder the outer walls of an architectural masterpiece or the simplest of dwellings. 

Everyone has the right to their own dwelling but It's up to you/me/them to make it a home.

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The "Casa" series was influenced by my trips to Portugal and Colombia.

These renderings are imaginings from my head; the influence of where I'd been and how I felt in those spaces.

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Barrio Rustico Casa Series "Barrio Rustico" Contemporary Abstract Painting, Impasto, Pinks, Terra Cotta, Taupes and Gray Colors
Barrio Rustica Casa Series "Casa Sola" Contemporary Abstract Painting on Wood Canvas, Impasto, Pinks, Terra Cotta, Taupes and Gray Colors 2019
Barrio Rustico Casa Series "Tres Casas" Contemporary Abstract Painting with Terra Cotta, Pinks, Grays and White Tones 2019
Barrio Rustico Casa Series "Casa Amarillas" Contemporary Abstract Painting, Rustic in nature, Aqua, Terra Cotta, Taupes, Gold and Yellows 2019

SOL

Abstract Spanish Style Adobe, Terra Cotta, Turquoise Blue, Reflection, Water

My latest paintings come from a lifetime of experiences. A deep well of sadness, loss, joy and discovery. A journey. My journey. From the crushing pain of losing friends and loved ones to AIDS in the 80s and 90s to the terror of pandemic lockdowns. From the delight of seeing a friend’s mural painted on our shared living space wall to the warmth and golden sunshine of South Beach. These experiences are reflected in my current work.

 

The colors and structure of each painting reflect a singular experience—a moment in time and place. All of the emotion and feeling of those moments is contained in the contrast of light and dark, in the geometry, in the forward motion.

 

I didn’t plan on having this much time for self-discovery and creating new work—it was an unanticipated consequence of the pandemic. But with more time to focus on my creative work, I have been able to tap into new places and ways of working. A gift of time. For reflection. For re-evaluating. For regeneration. For-reimagining. Time-for the meaning to become apparent.

 

Only in the doing—and in the reflection--does the meaning become clear.

www.rickgriggs.com

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