EXHIBITION DESCRIPTION In “Personae” Godfrey reflects upon who we are as individuals and communities. His figures move through mysterious spaces; they blur into abstraction, are confronted with unexpected marks then emerge, dream-like, carrying stories. This diverse body of work celebrates life’s journey with nuance and an engaging beauty.

ARTIST STATEMENT This work relates to photorealism in that it exposes (even exaggerates) its photographic references. The paintings depart from photorealism through their celebration of paint. While paintings attempting to look like photos generally embrace thin paint and, like pop art, erase the artist mark, these works are thickly painted, blurred, scraped and painted again, making paint itself a clear subject. The abstract marks are not simply embellishment. They layer emotional, intellectual and psychological aspects of the subject and contribute to the overall composition. By the end of the painting process I am primarily thinking abstractly, focusing on what makes the work visually strong, independent of the subject.

My paintings are not stories; they are thoughts. Stories have beginnings, middles and endings. My work resides in a suspension of space and time.  I paint memories that lie just out of reach; moments that are familiar but ephemeral. I explore emotions that don’t translate well into words. I paint desires, struggles and consequences related to experience, not just illustrations of the experiences themselves. More than recording the journey, I want to capture the drives, impressions and responses to moments that join to create the essence of life.