Lux Vitae- GC Myers
Tomorrow, Friday, June 1, is the opening for my show of new work at the Principle Gallery in Alexandria. Haven is my 19th show with the wonderful folks at the Principle, a mark that still boggles my mind. When I first began painting after being injured in the fall from the ladder at the house we were building back in 1993, I had no idea it would ever amount to anything.
In fact, I was pretty sure it wouldn’t. There was nothing in my past that pointed to any future level of success as an artist.
I just wanted something to call my own.
So from being invited to show my work with the Principle Gallery and onto my first solo show there in 2000– which was called, surprise,surprise, Red Tree— I have felt like I was playing with house money, that anything beyond this was gravy. Sorry for mixing metaphors there.
But in my mind, with that first show, I had already exceeded my expectations. Plus, beyond that, I had achieved my primary goal of creating something that I could call my own, something that would be validated internally by myself and externally by others.
So, each show is a reminder of how fortunate I have been in the past two decades. And knowing that I have been the beneficiary of such good fortune drives me to work a bit harder, to dig a little deeper for every subsequent show. I still believe that I have much to prove and room to grow with my work, as an artist and a person.
These years have given me no sense of entitlement. In fact, I think I feel less entitlement than I did in my earlier years in this field. I didn’t know any better then. Now, I understand that as an artist you are on a constant proving ground which requires real commitment and self-belief in order to stay relevant.
These were some of the thoughts that drove me while working for this show and I think it shows in the paintings. I am personally pleased and excited with this show, mainly because I know that I have done what I hoped to do with this show. It feels like an honest and real expression.
But, hey, that’s just my opinion. You can judge it for yourself. Or not. But if you do want to take a look, Below is a nice short video ( it’s only a minute and a half!) I threw together with some of the pieces from the show.
The painting at the top is Lux Vitae, a 30″ by 40″ canvas that I think is really symbolic of this show.
Hope you’ll come out and see it tomorrow.
Redtree Times 