Artist Statement
This series documents the beginnings of the earth. The work started with the painting titled BEGINNINGS.
The genesis of the series emerged when I began to look at photos from the Hubble Telescope as a reference to the beginnings of planet formation. It became clear to me that our own planet is just a place in time, and will come and go. The thought of "saving the planet" is therefore an abstract consideration - Earth will endure for an immeasurable time, with or without mankind's presence, and the existence of the planet as we know it will one day be over. It will then regress back into its beginnings.
As a result of my reaction to the images presented in these paintings, I have become more aware of man's role in shortening his time on Earth. I'd like these paintings to remind the viewer of the geological history of our time on Earth and to question why as a species we are actively hastening the process of our extinction through the destruction of our atmosphere.
Brian McPartlon was born in Schenectady, New York in 1948. He attended the School of Visual Arts in New York; studying drawing, painting and sculpture in a traditional studio setting, all the while exploring art museums and galleries, hungry for art without confinement. He “hung out” at famed counterculture places, associated with influential artists and activists and participated in Vietnam War protests. These events brought a connection to a world that he felt was his to encompass and portray in a manner unlike any he had learned in school. McPartlon then moved to California to attend the San Francisco Art Institute.
Upon graduation in 1973, McPartlon rented studio space in San Francisco and began selling his work. In 1978, McPartlon also began using his studio to build movie sets, and was Art Director and Property Master for various films through 1986.
In Santa Fe for the past 40 years, he has supported the arts – as a fundraiser, curator, and exhibit producer. His work was recently selected for The Art in Architecture Program: U.S. General Services Administration National Artist Registry, Washington, D.C.
Recent and upcoming exhibits include International Art Museum of America, San Francisco, CA (solo); Kenosha Public Museum, Kenosha, WI; Pie Projects, Santa Fe, NM; and CINQ Gallery, Dallas, TX. Recent press includes LandEscape Art Review, London, UK; Magazine 43/Berlin, Hong Kong, Manila; ART UP MI, Milan; Southwest Contemporary; Artwork Gallery Magazine, Kyiv, UKR; MVIBE Magazine, Athens; Silk Road Review; Gemini Magazine; Modern Renaissance Magazine; The Woven Tale Press; New Mexico Bar Bulletin (cover); Unique Homes/The High End; Forget Me Not Press; Superpresent Magazine; Blue Mesa Review; Pasatiempo/Santa Fe New Mexican; Another Chicago Magazine; Arkana Literary Review; Dream Noir; and The Uncoiled.
He is represented by Pie Projects, Santa Fe, NM; CINQ Gallery, Dallas, TX; and Fresh Paint Art Consultants, Los Angeles, CA.
On exhibit at Sahara West Library from September 4, 2024 through December 15, 2024
Gallery reception Thursday, September 5, 2024 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Monday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Tuesday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Wednesday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Thursday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Friday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Saturday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Sunday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
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