Nevada is NOT a Wasteland
The subtle, beautiful landscape and the extreme weather in Nevada are
the focus of my latest body of work. I have heard the Nevada landscape
described as desolate, bleak, and harsh. This new series came about as
I pondered the statement – Nevada is NOT a wasteland. Composed of
fiery color harmonies, sublime textures and subtle, translucent layers
of strata, my intent is to create paintings that reveal the power and
mystery of our Western world composed of desert, mountains, lakes and
skies. Focusing on close ups and landscape views – wind, fire, rain,
snow, seasons and skies – I hope to express the Nature of Nevada…not
necessarily realistic landscapes …but the beauty and power that
truly represents our unique environment.
“There but for the grace of God go I” –
113 Portraits
This exhibit is meant to surround the viewer with images of people
in various states of emotions brought on by an unfortunate event that
can touch any one of us at any time; as a driver, a family member of the
victim or the offender, as an empathetic non-judgmental human being. The
portraits are haunting.
Inspired by the mug shots in our daily paper of DUI offenders who were
in accidents that ended up with severe bodily harm injuries or death.
There were 113 from 2000-2010. These images haunted me and inspired the
title, “There but for the grace of God go I”. So many looked
like a neighbor, a family member, a student…the list goes on and
on. They all ended up in jail. Hours before there was a party, a social
occasion or maybe an addiction but then it all went wrong. This installation
is intended to touch on a personal and a social level.
About the artist:
Maria Partridge has been teaching art - drawing, painting, watercolor
and graphic design at Truckee Meadows Community College since 2002. A
recent solo exhibit at the Sierra Arts Gallery ~ "Nevada is NOT a
Wasteland" was shown at the Sierra Arts Gallery in Reno, Nevada:
September 10 - October 10, 2013. This project is funded, in part, by a
grant from the Nevada Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural
Affairs, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
Partridge has exhibited throughout the United States. Solo shows have
included the Nevada Museum of Art, Sierra Art Gallery, Truckee River Gallery
and the Agora Gallery (SoHo) in New York City. She received her Masters
of Arts degree from California State University, Sacramento in 2004. Her
work is represented in national and international private collections.
She was nominated for the prestigious Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant in
New York in 2007.
MARIA PARTRIDGE
  
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