May 2007, WM Issue # 3: George Goodridge @ Tarryn Teresa

George Goodridge Vertebrate Companion

 April 21-May 26, 2007

 Tarryn

Teresa

Gallery

 Bergamot Station-Santa Monica 
 

Ethereal Audience

By Sandra Vista 

George Goodridge is a fairly new hombre in town working with a fairly new gallery on the Bergamot Station scene. His solo exhibition of three dimensional paintings is a complimentary pairing. During our interview at

Tarryn

Teresa

Gallery , George used the word ambiguity to describe his work. He said he wanted the viewers to draw their own conclusion as to what his biomorphic/organic forms represented. He said that the viewer is an important component when he is making a list (he makes lists) for the designing of a new painting. An ethereal audience is always looming wanting to be entertained and informed. Some of the pieces look like cocoons, pods, or petrified insect legs. Each piece has an oversized dot painted somewhere on its form. George says they represent an eye that helps identify each piece. Also, it is a way for viewers to enhance their visit with the three dimensional paintings.  

Vertebrate Companion refers to George’s coupling of the three dimensional paintings. An obvious solution is what George called the pairing of the pieces on the gallery walls.  The form of each piece consists of a wooden skeletal frame draped by canvas and painted with oil paint. The framework intentionally remains as a prominent element in each work. It gives the work a sculptural element but George does not consider his work to be sculptures. He referred to Cy Tombly and Martin Puryear as being two of his influences. Tombly’s allegiance to structure, line and allowing each drawing/painting to generate its own identity are prominent in George’s pieces. Also, fundamental to George’s work, are Puryear’s use of wooden frameworks and primordial forms. 

The uniform lighting in

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Gallery promotes an equilateral playing field for each artwork. There are limited shadows cast and the dynamic force of each three dimensional painting vacillates between degrees of gravity. As George said, when speaking about John Cage’s element of chance, it’s the real thing. And the real thing will change depending on the viewer.