"Scott B. Goodwillie: Figuring the Forces"
2004-08-13 until 2004-11-14
Frye Art Museum
Seattle, WA, USA

From Demons and Daddy . . . to Lilith and Shiva, American born artist Scott B. Goodwillie's emotionally-charged figures represent potent creative and destructive forces that provide a visceral 'punch' aimed at disrupting the viewers' normal categories of experience. The artist draws inspiration from a variety of ancient motifs as diverse as Greek and Himalayan myth and the theatrical surrealism of Fellini. The Frye Art Museum opens the powerful Goodwillie show on Thursday evening August 12.

Painting in a realist style, Goodwillie combines smooth, studied Dutch brushstrokes with more edgy, contemporary subjects to create works that are both classically masterful and modern in mood. His Figuring the Forces exhibition features canvases populated by characters he has encountered in New York City, where he resides. In his art, however, he positions these models as archetypes and places them in imaginative and gripping situations. As a result, an intense energy permeates Goodwillie's scenes, which exploit the purgative powers of visual and psychological drama.

Goodwillie, who trained in the private atelier of Michael Aviano and at the Art Students League, is strongly influenced by art from the Renaissance and Baroque eras, as evidenced by his dynamic compositions, dramatic chiaroscuro, and rich striking palettes. His brushwork is as masterful as his finely tuned use of light. Additionally, he has perfected the strength of his figural passages and his nuances of movement are highly accomplished.

With a love for painting and a passion for expressing the emotional, Goodwillie's work fascinates the eye even while stirring, troubling, and sometimes amusing the heart. Viewers are compelled to take a closer look and coaxed into creating their own construction of meaning.

IMAGE
Scott B. Goodwillie (American, b. 1964)
Veil, 2001
oil on panel
24 x 36 in.
Private collection

Related Links:

Indepth Arts Resources for the State of Washington

Other Important Exhibitions in Seattle