Joshua Cunningham – Circling Back

For Joshua Cunningham, this new body of work encapsulates a season spent returning with fresh eyes to familiar scenes in search of the unfamiliar. Cunningham is seeking out the landscapes that have been described in stories shared by strangers, neighbors, and friends. He sees this exhibition as a season of circling back. Work for this show began after the artist’s father’s death in 2017. His father had been a fervent supporter of his work, and Cunningham leaned into painting as a way of keeping close to his father’s memory.

In Cunningham’s own words, “Grief can be a lens, not only of sadness and loss, but also of appreciation. Seeing the world through a lens of gratitude allowed me to look closer into familiar places for previously unconsidered paintings. My pursuit of painting is most successful when I am present to what is before me, rather than in service to an idea. Each painting, in its time, has been my best answer to what the place asked of me: paint this place, this light, this pervasive mood.”

A Minnesota native from rural Isanti County, Joshua Cunningham currently lives and works in St. Paul. His paintings can be found in private collections throughout the US and have garnered national attention by Plein Air Magazine and Informed Collector. Cunningham joined Groveland Gallery in 2017.

The artist will be present at the opening reception Saturday, January 26 from 2-5 pm. The opening reception and exhibition runs concurrently with Fascinators by Ellen Heck. Both shows continue through March 2, 2019.