PRESS RELEASE
Clay Wagstaff, A Natural Order
Feb 19 – Mar 28, 2009
Clay Wagstaff: Natural Order
February 19, 2009 – March 28, 2009
Sears Peyton Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition, of new works by Clay Wagstaff. The exhibition, entitled A Natural Order will include large-scale oil paintings on paper and panel made over the last year. This is the artist’s second show at the gallery.
Wagstaff lives and works in Tropic Utah, a remote town of less than 500 residents. He paints from sketches and refers to photographs he takes near his home and on his extensive travels.
Wagstaff composes his pieces mathematically using the Fabonacci series and the principles of dynamic symmetry, an ideology Leonardo DaVinci immortalized with his Golden Section, to set the ideal proportions. Above his deliberate interpretation of nature, Wagstaff paints skies using wide layered brushstrokes of moody and emotive color. Below the sweeping skies one discovers his talent for painting minutiae. He pays meticulous attention to nature’s details putting life and energy into every patch of moss, puff of sea foam, and tree branch.
Emotion and calmness, rigid formulation and energetic movement; the powerful dichotomies in Wagstaff’s work reflect nature and the universe. He often allows the sketch lines to show in his finished paintings and explains “ I want to create the feeling of another dimension, that there is a design behind the physical world, that there’s a blueprint or spiritual design behind everything.”
An ambiguity of scale and the occasional use of limited perspective add a sense of otherworldliness and curiosity to the list of emotions evoked by his work; knowing that there is more that could be seen adds tension and complexity to the pieces. Wagstaff reminds us of the limits inherent to our humanity and demonstrates that our inability to know everything can add beauty and interest to our existence.
Wagstaff’s work has been shown at museums and galleries in California, Nevada, Texas and Utah. His work is part of permanent collections at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Time Warner, Delta and Continental Airlines,Fidelity Investments, Wellington Management, Deloitte and Touche, and the US Department of State. Wagstaff holds a BFA from Brigham Young University and MFA from California State University at Long Beach.
About Sears Peyton Gallery
Founded in 1999 by Macie Sears and Gaines Peyton, Sears-Peyton Gallery is located in Manhattan’s Chelsea art district and represents the work of contemporary American artists. With emphasis on process-driven exploration, improvisation, and rigorous craft, Sears Peyton’s artists are committed to producing earnest and contemplative works of art. While the gallery’s artists work in a wide variety of media and subject matters, the common thread that unites this diverse stable of talent is a grounding in historic styles and subjects, rendered contemporary and seductive through modern processes, interpretations, moods and techniques. The resulting work feels simultaneously timeless and timely.
The gallery is committed to the long term development of their artists – placing works in public and private collections as well as acting as an accessible public space in which works are exhibited and become part of the cultural dialogue.
The show will be on view at Sears Peyton Gallery, 210 Eleventh Avenue, Suite 802 (between 24th and 25th streets) from January 8th through February 7th 2008. Sears Peyton Gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 10:00AM to 6:00PM and Saturdays from 11:00AM to 6:00PM.