The Art Of Charles Griffith
Affordable Artwork For Lovers Of The Fine Arts
About The Artist
Charles Griffith's interest in art began as a child. By the age of thirteen, he was already learning the fundamentals of draughtsmanship by copying the drawings of Michelangelo and other Renaissance masters. During this time he was encouraged not only by his family but also by his high school art teacher. Later, while serving with the U.S. Army in West Germany he was able to visit some of the great museums of Europe, such as the Louvre in Paris and the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Experiencing the work of the Old Masters firsthand made a lasting impact on him.
Then, while recuperating from an injury, he began a serious study of drawing, design and painting, studying and taking notes from art-related books in his local library, which led him in the direction of his current creative endeavors, a contemporary interpretation of Traditional Realism. Inspired by such artists as El Greco, Caravaggio, and artists as diverse as the European Expressionists and Surrealists, Charles Griffith has created a large selection of works over the years in oil, acrylic, pen and ink, charcoal, watercolor and pastel, covering a wide range of themes and subject matter, ranging from traditional motifs to the fantastic.
Now living and working in Monroe, North Carolina, the artist, whose work has been featured in newspapers, books, calendars, prints and numerous Internet galleries, is offering reasonably priced artwork for those who are new to the world of fine art collection, and to those who already have some experience. So take your time and peruse the following pages at your leisure, and enjoy the Art Of Charles Griffith.
The Artist And His Work
"Although I have done works in more modern styles,
I have found traditional realism to be the best vehicle for my
goals as an artist. And it is a fortunate thing too, as realism
and figurative work is making a comeback in mainstream western
art. Of course, it never really vanished, as the painters Lucian
Freud and David Hockney have demonstrated in their careers.
"The general trend in modern times has been the
simplification of the visual elements that make up the subject.
This began with the Impressionists and continued through the
Abstract Impressionists. But how far can you simplify the
subject? To a blank canvas? To no canvas at all? There is a point
at which the modern artist has to rediscover the inherent
aesthetic value of reality.
"A cow suspended in a tank of formaldehyde or elephant shit
splattered on the Virgin Mary are worn out "artistic
statements." They pose the same question that Marcel Duchamp
did when he painted a urinal, turned it upside down and called it
art. Duchamp's act was significant at the onset of the twentieth
century; it forced us to question what constitutes art. Now it is
simply redundant.
"There have always been certain characteristics that human
beings associate with beauty. We admire the Roman murals found in
Pompeii, the woodcut prints of the Japanese and the Mona Lisa,
even though they are centuries old. We can relate to these
masterpieces, I think, because we can more readily see ourselves
in these images. Will future generations find these qualities in
the Holy Mother smeared in animal excrement? Or Yoko Ono's tiny
black dot on a large white wall? There should be skill in art,
and lasting value that can be appreciated throughout time.
"Andrew Wyeth has painted in a realistic style in tempera
throughout his career, and his paintings have resonated with
critics and the public irrespective of current trends in art.
Naturally he is considered one of the great American artists of
the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. I can only hope that my
work can one day be seen in a similar light."
Charles Griffith
June, 2006
What The Press Is Saying
The following are excerpts from an interview conducted with the artist in December 2000 by the Enquirer-Journal Newspaper in Monroe, North Carolina. The article was entitled "Local Artist Wants His Work To Make An Impact." The interviewer was staff writer Matt McKenzie; the staff photographer was Mike Dirks. "The last time Charles Griffith took an art lesson, he was a student at Monroe High. But look at his paintings, and you'd think art was his college major. 'I was self-taught,' Griffith said. 'It (art) was one of my first hobbies and always has been . . .' "The first painting the Union county native did, a ship sailing on a river, was in 1990. For the next 10 years, he said he has steadily been getting better. 'I do a lot of studying on my own,' he said. "And of course, I have been drawing since I was a kid.' Griffith's style and subject-matter are varied. He said the subject could range from a traditional motif all the way to surreal and fantasy. He likes to do mostly oil and acrylic paintings . . . "In the 10
years he has been painting, Griffith has completed about
60 or 70 paintings, he said. He likes to work on just one
at a time in order to keep focus. 'Sometimes the painting
can get a little tiring,' he said. 'So I just do a little
bit here and a little bit there.' Griffith draws
inspiration from great artists such as Rembrandt,
Michelangelo and Salvador Dali. He also enjoys other
creative outlets, such as literature. In fact, his
favorite painting, titled 'The Weird Sisters,' was
motivated by William Shakespeare's 'Macbeth.' 'I like
that painting because I think I did a good job with it,'
he said. 'It is dramatic, has a theatrical sense and it
makes an impression on you.' Making an impression on
people is something that Griffith strives for. 'Some
people may think a subject might be weird or strange, but
it still makes an impression on them,' he said . .
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charles_griffith@lycos.com
204 East Houston St.
Monroe, North Carolina USA
28112-5511
(704) 289-3972
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