Email: sgruver@allergictofun.com
Artist Statement
I am preoccupied with permeability and impermanence, and my work centers around growth and decay, temporary accumulations and eroding edges. Painting, with all of its flexibility and limitations, is central to my exploration of these concepts. Through abstraction, I explore points of conflict and interruption. The visual language I use is inspired by the impact of powerful geological forces, development, and climate change on our surroundings and our lives. The tension caused by this instability is explored through the juxtaposition of organic forms and geometric shapes, uneasy color relationships, and a variety of textures, finishes, and marks.
My recent paintings depict a series of abstracted landscapes built on inherently unstable foundations. An irresistible impulse to undermine, to destroy, and to remake shapes each piece. This shaping is fundamental to the work. Just as the forms within the paintings activate and define each other, the physical boundaries of the paintings themselves define and interact with the space surrounding them. Whether arranged across walls or floors, the irregular edges of each piece reflect the uncertain, shifting boundaries of an environment in constant, poorly contained flux. Both subtle and dramatic changes in composition occur each time the paintings are hung, and the easily changed configuration of the finished pieces expresses the malleability that lies at the core of this work.
Price List
For a list of available work and prices, please download:
my price list (pdf).
Commissions
Design and Writing
For info about my web design, illustration, and writing projects, see Allergic to Fun.