Artist reception Saturday February 25 from 4pm to 7pm. On exhibit through March 31, 2012.
Varnish Fine Art presents a retrospective solo exhibition of the past 33 years of artwork by Ron Garrigues. "From Beginning to End" features 33 bronze sculptures (Man and Beast Series), 33 etchings on clayboard (the Big Bang Series) and 33 sumi ink paintings mounted on silk (the Next One Billion Humans 2025 AD Series). Ron Garrigues resonates with the concerns of 21st Century Mankind, using his art as a vehicle to bear witness to the beginning (the Big Bang) and as a foretelling of a possible end for Man and Nature.
Ron Garrigues first gained critical acclaim in the art world with his 1961 solo exhibit of sculpture at the California Palace of the Legion of Honor. Referencing sculptural skills gained under the tutelage of Richard Whalen, Peter Voulkos and Harold Paris and influenced by the poetics of late 1950's Beat culture in North Beach, Garrigues explored what he describes as "the lyric purity of form and line."
Garrigues trekked around the world, exploring rainforests, climbing the Andes, Himalayas, Alps and the Sierra Nevada, all the while recording the impact of "Man" on "Nature." His observations on extinction, overpopulation and greed in the new millenium form the basis of his art while retaining a commitment to the beauty of form. Sublime tension, particularly in Garrigues' series of bronze skulls, engages the viewer on a visceral level, driving his message home.
Since 2007, Garrigues has turned his attention to the second dimension, using clayboard and traditional sumi ink materials to address concerns about the number of humans occupying the planet Earth and the sustainability, or lack thereof, of this unmitigated population explosion.
"Beauty works for Garrigues... It serves him, and serves his message, and he has got something very serious to say. We can only hope that he is heard." - Thomas Berry (1914-2009)
About Varnish Fine Art
Jen Rogers and Kerri Stephens believe that Art makes the world a better place. Since founding Varnish Fine Art in 2003, the gallery has become known for showing provocative and skillfully executed contemporary artwork. True to its original mission, Varnish Fine Art continues to be a lively and vital part of the Yerba Buena Arts District in downtown San Francisco.
Media Opportunities Interview with co-owners Kerri Stephens and Jen Rogers. Interview with artist Ron Garrigues. High-resolution images available upon request. Varnish Fine Art 16 Jessie Street, #C120 San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 433-4400
Press and Media Inquiries Jen Rogers, Varnish Fine Art jen@varnishfineart.com (415)433-4400