GRAYSON CHANDLER: PLANTING TRACES OPENS APRIL 20
GRAYSON CHANDLER: PLANTING TRACES OPENS APRIL 20
OPENING RECEPTION: SATURDAY APRIL 20, 5 PM- 7:30 PM, NOW ACCEPTING RSVPS VIA EVITE/ WALK-INS WELCOME
Planting Traces, the title of Grayson Chandler’s 2024 Spring solo, alludes to the manner of abstraction that permeates his artwork. Embedded in his process is the idea of allowing subliminal matters the space and time to grow into something more observable, so that something more illuminating may take root. This preoccupation with observation stems from a belief that meaning emerges out of mindful cooperation with one’s surroundings, and that as one becomes more mindful of their environment, a sense of destination is nurtured.
Planting Traces suggests a connotation of passage and growth, imbibing the artwork with an undercurrent of cause and effect. Yet, despite these cyclical overtones, Chandler’s work remains uninhabited by chronological order. Instead, his work echoes outside of history, arousing a place that seems suspended in its own time. What ultimately germinates between Chandler’s artwork and those it attracts, is a place where viewers are given room to grow mindful regarding the nature of their own perception.
Artist Statement
Fascinated by the intrinsic order and beauty of nature, My work attempts to capture and abstract its character in a manner that is uncanny, yet familiar. Deeply curious about the forces that govern human reason and faith, my work probes the amphibious network linking logic, intuition, consciousness, and emotion. Through this perspective, we are encouraged to draw upon our own experience as a means of shaping the border between real and imaginary. Moreover, we are encouraged to explore how the shape of our experience shapes how we see, and how what we see is largely colored by what we can recognize. Within this aesthetic, the spectator is invited to enter a space that meditates on the means through which we conceive and distill meaning and sensation from space and form.
Biography
Born in Houston, Texas 1994, Grayson Chandler’s exposure to the visual arts began from a young age. Since graduating with a BFA from the University of North Texas in 2018, Chandler has been selling and exhibiting his paintings in Texas, and abroad. His early success can be demonstrated through numerous solo and group shows, garnering his artwork a rapidly growing admiration from significant collectors and Houston institutions alike. His 2022 solo IN VIA, at Deborah Colton Gallery, saw his work acquired into the MFAH’s permanent collection. Other notable shows include a 2021 Solo at Pearl Fincher Museum in Spring, Texas, as well as his upcoming solo at the Jung Center in 2024. In addition to his own professional practice, Chandler also serves on the board of the Visual Arts Alliance (VAA) — an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization seeking to provide educational and career opportunities for serious practitioners of the visual arts within the Houston community.
