Curtis Gander | Viewing the Viewer

Curtis Gander | Viewing the Viewer

Flanders and Associates presents Curtis Gander's paintings of people viewing paintings at the MIA

This unique series of miniature oil paintings depict people viewing works of art at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.

The subject matter is engaging for two reasons. It is natural to imagine what Gander’s painted viewer is thinking, but there is also a symbiotic relationship of Gander’s live viewer looking at a painting of a person looking at a painting. In many of these works there is a reciprocal theme whereby the figure viewing a painting relates to that painting in a particular way, perhaps in clothing, or mood or character.

As an artist Curtis Gander continually experiments with various techniques, styles and subject matter. He states, “Painting miniatures was a new endeavor – I felt the small scale lent itself to the intimate nature of this series.” Dimensions of each painting in this exhibition are less than twelve inches.

Born and currently residing in Hutchinson, MN, Curt Ganders tells, “The MIA miniatures are all based on candid photos that I took during various visits to the MIA. I have always enjoyed visiting the MIA and enjoy photography, so the series was a natural outcome of my interests. I also wanted to try something I had not done before and enjoyed the process. The paintings became somewhat of an obsession with me and I noticed that my style and technique changed in subtle ways as I progressed through the series that lasted about two years. I had fun with the floor and walls and shadows, as they were more conducive to playing with color overlays and interpretation. It was a challenge to get candid photos that would work, and I ended up taking hundreds of pictures for reference.”


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