ARTIST'S STATEMENT
Eric Galbreath is a resident of Tucson, Arizona and draws inspiration from the saturated colors afforded by the crisp desert air of the American southwest. Rather than depicting a scene or an object, his compositions use vibrant hues and cascading tones to evoke a variety of collector responses, from joy and inspiration to introspection and meditative thought.
Galbreath received his undergraduate degree in Visual Arts from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh and Point Park College, and Master of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary in 1994. Influences from his lifelong career in graphic design can be seen in Galbreath’s use of color and texture as the medium of communication. The ethereal and non-objective nature of his work creates a meditative space, a window into, or a mirror reflective of, one’s inner life.
Paint is vigorously, randomly applied during the initial ‘creating chaos’ stage. Galbreath uses scraping and paint build-up to ground and layer the work, overlapping discordant colors and generally joining or juxtaposing brush strokes, shapes and texture.
After a period of hibernation, the piece returns to the studio for further energetic application of color. Destroying underlying layers, this editing and reworking continues over the course of months. Other passages are preserved and built upon. Form and balance emerge. Space and light are divided and connected, broken and remade. The painting begins breathing, developing its own history.
The viewer inevitably brings his/her own meaning to the work. Galbreath’s intent is for “the viewer to abandon this urge to make meaning. Rather,” he challenges, “be in the moment. Experience the beauty of ambiguity. Take in the painting as a whole, be naked before it: only you and your inner awareness.”
Brilliant in their clarity and singularity, Galbreath’s paintings can be found in fine homes and corporate collections throughout Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Michigan and Washington, DC.