Governor's Gallery
Sherrie McGraw Life and Still Life
November 4, 2005 thru January 20, 2006
Life and Still Life is an exhibition of dramatic works that are exemplary
of classical themes perfected by such artists as Rembrandt van Rijn
and J.M.W. Turner. Contextually, McGraw’s work is reminiscent
of the Italian Baroque period made famous by painters such as Caravaggio
and Guido Reni. In her execution of tenebrism, the use of extreme lights
and darks in figurative works, is a true testament to the dramatic
Caravaggioesque school of thought.
Divine light illuminates her canvases, breathing life into her subjects.
Both delicate and grandiose, the brushwork exposes raw emotion even
in the simplest of scenes. She merges the drama and realism of the
Baroque, with the atmosphere and spontaneity of romanticism, to evoke
an old world spirit. McGraw’s figurative work is wonderfully
dark and allegorical. Each line illustrates the enduring appeal of
the style that has pierced the barricades of contemporary artistic
thought.
McGraw spent her formative years in Ponca City. It was there at the age of four that McGraw declared she was to become an artist. Her desire to learn the classical techniques of artists such as Diego Velasquez and Hovsep Pushman led her to the Art Students League of New York. Seven years later, the school would ask McGraw to return as a teacher. That yielded a life-long dedication to teaching artists. In 1992, McGraw journeyed to the New Mexico artist colony of Taos to continue her career as teacher at the Fechin Institute along with conducting private lessons for aspiring artist. Within her teaching, McGraw focuses on various classical techniques as well as teaching her students how to truly see subject matter.
McGraw has participated in solo and group exhibitions throughout the
United States. She was the former vice-president of American Women
Artists, in which she played an integral role in the organization of
a cultural exchange exhibition in Sorrento, Italy. Her awards are prestigious
and numerous, including awards from the world renowned Salmagundi Club
in New York, the American Artists Professional League, and the National
Arts Club. Publications featuring her work include Art
of the West,
Southwest Art, The Santa Fean, and various more.
Regarding her work as an artist, McGraw affirms, “I paint to understand beauty. With experience, I have learned to see more in that beauty. The act of learning to paint forces self-scrutiny in ways that torment and illuminate, haunt and please. In the present opinion of what is considered worthwhile art, my reasons of painting put me at considerable risk of being dismissed as old-fashioned, but is beauty not timeless?”
Sponsored by the Oklahoma Arts Council. For more information contact Scott Cowan or Karen Sharp at 405.521.2931 or scott@arts.ok.gov
Past Governor's Gallery Exhibits