robertfordyce.com
A Scattered Accumulation
My works are primarily abstract. Sometimes I do include bits of photographs or text, but I try to use those more for their color, shape or texture, rather than for any specific meaning. And yet, some amount of objectification is inevitable. I usually end up with a story in my head for each picture. However, I don't consider that essential to the work. I am happy for individual viewers to arrive at their own interpretations.
I have sold works to private collectors, and have participated in informal group shows and open studio events in New York City. I am not currently represented by a gallery. So far, I have not felt the need to push too much for that. I have felt that it was more important for me just keep producing my drawings and paintings, and work out my ideas for my own critical eye. I feel that my reputation, exposure and success will increase as my work habits, honest self-appraisal, and mastery of a uniquely personal aesthetic grow. To be ultimately successful, my work must convey some grain of truth that is immediately recognizable to all people.
"I have found that all ugly things are made by those who strive to make something beautiful, and that all beautiful things are made by those who strive to make something useful." (Oscar Wilde)
I received my degree from the Memphis College of Art in the mid-1980's. I then spent the next decade working in commercial and decorative art, graphic design and marketing, and stopped painting altogether. I moved to New York in 1995, and began painting again. Not surprisingly, my initial output did not meet my satisfaction. My current body of work has resulted from years of searching, experimenting and refining, still an ongoing process. New York City has provided an endless array of stimuli. These impressions have undergone a sometimes manic procedure of distillation and trial-and-error. I have filled up a couple of dumpsters with rejected paintings, but now I think I have some "keepers."
I have sold works to private collectors, and have participated in informal group shows and open studio events in New York City. I am not currently represented by a gallery. So far, I have not felt the need to push too much for that. I have felt that it was more important for me just keep producing my drawings and paintings, and work out my ideas for my own critical eye. I feel that my reputation, exposure and success will increase as my work habits, honest self-appraisal, and mastery of a uniquely personal aesthetic grow. To be ultimately successful, my work must convey some grain of truth that is immediately recognizable to all people.
"I have found that all ugly things are made by those who strive to make something beautiful, and that all beautiful things are made by those who strive to make something useful." (Oscar Wilde)
I received my degree from the Memphis College of Art in the mid-1980's. I then spent the next decade working in commercial and decorative art, graphic design and marketing, and stopped painting altogether. I moved to New York in 1995, and began painting again. Not surprisingly, my initial output did not meet my satisfaction. My current body of work has resulted from years of searching, experimenting and refining, still an ongoing process. New York City has provided an endless array of stimuli. These impressions have undergone a sometimes manic procedure of distillation and trial-and-error. I have filled up a couple of dumpsters with rejected paintings, but now I think I have some "keepers."
