Rocks
and Trees, oil on board, 24 "x25" |
Gallery Notes
Always self-confident, Groat’s brushwork has become even bolder and more
assertive. In many of the works presented, we find the paint is applied
in broad strokes or highly apparent daubs and drips, heightening our
sense of disparity between the creative energy of the artist and the
refined sophistication of the image. The surface of these paintings
is thicker, with the addition of sand and occasionally collage to the
medium, so that lines are inscribed into the surface as often as painted
upon it. The hallmark of Groat’s style remains his uncanny ability
to organize compositions through color. But those who recall the soft,
brooding landscapes of the past will find here a warmer, more vibrant
palette, with more strident contrasts of both hue and value. So, too,
has the ambient light of earlier landscapes become more focused and
dramatic. In paintings like Monhegan Surf, the light which illuminates
the landscape has become the subject of the painting.
Tanglewood
Rehearsal
oil on canvas, 14 "x10" |
Writing
of his past exhibit, I stated: "Groat’s depiction often
treads a fine line between realism and abstraction. Objects or entire
scenes come into our presence with the force of belated recognition." Certainly
this statement holds in the present instance as well. But whereas
in earlier work it described his style overall, in his newer work,
we see abstraction and realism becoming oppositional forces within
the same composition. In the Monhegan paintings, particularly Gull
Rock II, Burnt Head, and Monhegan Island, the landscape resolves
itself into two distinct planes. A tangible and articulated foreground
plane gives way to an abstracted background which seems almost to
dissolve into light. In Spring Ledges, the verticals and horizontals
of the rock face threaten to solidify into abstract pattern. This
combination of planarity and abstract design occasionally gives Groat’s
work a subtly oriental flavor.
Tanglewood
'02, acrylic on board, 30"x40" |
Taken as a whole, Groat’s new work is characterized by a considerable versatility
of style: a versatility reflecting his dynamic method of composition. The artist
paints more by engagement than by plan and fully understands his intention only
when the last stroke of the brush has fallen.
A
graduate of Syracuse University, Groat has exhibited his award-winning
paintings throughout the eastern United States. His work is included
in numerous public and private collections, including those of Henry
Kissinger, former President Jimmy Carter, the Everson Museum of Art in
Syracuse, and the United Nations Philatelic Museum in Geneva, Switzerland.
He has also created murals for many public buildings in Upstate New York.
His exceptional work has earned his inclusion in Who’s Who in
American Art and Who’s Who in the East. Hall Groat lives
in Manlius, New York, with his wife, Rosemarie. JH
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