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Andrew Gray
"Hope Floats" - Original Acrylic Painting of Hand & Reflection, Serenity Theme

2024

About the Item

In "Hope Floats, 2024," Andrew Gray continues his exploration of aquatic themes within the 'Currents of Color' series, presented in his solo exhibition. This piece, a 24 x 20-inch acrylic on canvas surrounded by a 25 x 21-inch white frame, offers a close view of a Black person's hand gracefully disturbing the water's surface. Gray's careful attention to detail and layered textures creates a realistic portrayal of water, a consistent subject in his work. Artist Statement for the "Currents of Color" Series: While I typically center my artistic practice around the figure, I embrace water as both subject and medium. As I delved into this series, I began to question my choice of swimming as a narrative. Pools and the environments where bodies are interacting with water are very unfamiliar with me and sparked a genuine interest. Through my art, I sought to insert myself into these aquatic environments, infusing them with the presence of black figures. As a creative, I found the joy in devising various methods to portray both water and the presence of a people, even if their bodies are not visually present in the painting. While acknowledging the weight of historical stereotypes and racism surrounding black bodies and water, I intentionally aimed for a sense of lightness in these paintings, inviting viewers to a mundane moment in time. Employing unconventional tools such as large squidgy implements and dampened paper towels, I sculpted layers of paint to evoke the serene calmness of placid waters or the turbulent energy of rushing currents. My series, 'Currents of Color,' is an exploration of water in its myriad forms: from thick to thin, stillness to motion, indoors to outdoors, and the interplay of figures within, around, or submerged beneath its surface. - Andrew Gray
  • Creator:
    Andrew Gray (American)
  • Creation Year:
    2024
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 24 in (60.96 cm)Width: 20 in (50.8 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Denver, CO
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU1308214363722

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