Gary Carpenter

Statement:
My work has taken on a variety of forms over the years but it always has functioned as an instrument for navigating between society, the sciences and spirituality and it supports my belief that creativity often explores issues which lie just beyond our understanding.

My quiet interactions alone with nature have become a spiritual staple and a vital component in my personal and professional life. Nature is tactilely seductive and I am drawn in by the surfaces I encounter, but I am captivated by the processes that form them. Each experience in nature leads to questions which I explore through my work, and each creation inspires me to go back into those environments to test my conclusions. My process has evolved into a self-perpetuating cycle of inquisition and creativity.

Over the past few years I have focused my attentions primarily on one area in a state park that I’m particularly drawn to, returning over and over to the same patch of woods. I intently explore the surfaces, textures and moods that I encounter, gaining an awareness of how they differ from one spot to the next, from one day to the next, and one season to the next. I have tirelessly explored these woods through photography, drawing, and the act of simply experiencing place.

Bio:
Gary Carpenter has been a Northwest artist for 25 years, focusing primarily on his relationship with nature through a wide variety of mediums. He has studied at Cornish College of the Arts, the Pratt Fine Art Center, and the Gage Academy and received his BFA and MFA from the University of Washington. Gary has always engaged in painting and drawing, but has also extensively explored collage, printmaking and sculpture and recently completed two sculpture commissions for national wildlife refuges. He is currently teaching at the University of Washington.