The Walnut Gallery is proud to present the work of artist Raymond Gaddy on display Oct 7 -Nov 28. The exhibition will open with a reception and gallery talk on Oct 7 at 7pm. Admission is free and open to the public.An Alabama native, Gaddy received his MFA in Painting from the University of Alabama. He is currently an instructor at the University of North Florida where he also serves as Gallery Director of the UNF Gallery of Art and curator for the UNF Gallery at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Jacksonville. His paintings and drawings have been exhibited in group and solo exhibitions across the United States and the United Kingdom, including the Exit Art Gallery, NY; Wake Forest University, NC; The Tampa Museum of Art, FL; The Attelboro Museum of Art, MA; the Holter Art Museum, MT; and the Art Center of Design in Pasadena, CA.
Raymond was named one of the top 25 emerging artists in Florida by the Tampa Museum of Art in 2007. His work is included in many public and private collections including the College of Notre Dame of Maryland; The Savannah College of Art and Design; and the Library of Congress. Gaddy currently lives in Savannah, Georgia with his wife, artist Ashley Waldvogel and their two children, Fletcher and Lola.
Raymond's work is primarily figurative with a focus on personal narratives.
Artist statement:
“It was a long time before I realized that green lollipops were not made from caterpillars. My father told me this and I believed him. Later he confirmed his story by showing me some live, green caterpillars and bringing home some tequila candies, the ones with the worms in them, home from one of his business trips. This is the environment that I grew up in. Lying was an everyday occurrence. There are many euphemisms that make lying sound like a perfectly reasonable pastime; storytelling, spinning a yarn, “tellin” a tall tale. In fact there is a long tradition of Southern liars, historians of the mundane. Many of the South’s great writers fit into this category. As a result of being immersed in this environment I’ve come to excel at, and enjoy lying too.
Unfortunately I’m not blessed with a gift for words. Don’t get me wrong, I can tell a good story when the mood strikes me. However, my abilities lie in the realm of the visual so I have learned to interpret and tell my stories that way. I feel a responsibility to record the stories of my life. This is not pure vanity. The tapestry of my everyday is threaded with the stories of my friends and family. Every family has its historian or folklorist; I am that person for this extended “family” of mine. All good folk tales have a history, a heart of truth, that’s what makes them believable. With out that truth, the stories, those lies are just mean. The best stories have a history, a provenance, which gives them some gravity. So when I told my son all about green lollipops he ate it up and I completed a cycle that I hope one day he will continue.”
The Walnut Gallery is currently open by appointment. To schedule a visit email Mario Gallardo at mario@walnutgallery.org
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