"RELATIVE"
The Tar Paintings of James Griffith

From evolutionary origins to the contemporary ecological crisis, nature inspires the paintings of James Griffith. Over the last decade, Griffith has made detailed paintings of animals with tar collected from the La Brea Tar Pits. By substituting tar for paint, his depictions of living animals suggests the transformative cycles of evolution and extinction. His tar renderings also bring to mind our current environmental crisis caused by the burning of petrochemicals.

Griffith uses a wide range of processes to develop his paintings. At times the tar is allowed to flow and puddle without control. Alternatively, he constructs his images of animals with precisely etched details. The contrast of process gives wider expression to both the physical material of the work and to its subject's image.  He draws inspiration from the craftsmanship of old masters, such as Albrecht Durer, Rembrandt and Goya, but finds equal inspiration from the processes of contemporary artists such as Gerhard Richter and Sigmar Polke.

The title for this exhibition, "RELATIVE", was chosen for its multiple meanings. On one hand it poses the question of family ties. How are we related to these animals within the family of life on this planet?  On the other hand, it suggests the complexity of relational situations. The existence of life is contingent, interdependent, and temorary. Griffith's paintings honor the fragile balance of this view of Nature.