Strange as it may seem, it has taken most of the twentieth century for collage to be taken seriously as a major art form. It is now clear that a techical miracle has taken place in the past century.
Of all the art media that originated, collage is one of the most far-reaching. Collage was one of the first media to recycle existing materials. No one artist has been credited with the origin of collage, because it occurred spontaneously at the beginning of this century. Collage is the only new visual, well defined, art medium during the twentieth- century and assemblage is one of the most important innovations of modern art, the other being abstraction. No other developments in twentieth-century art have open up to artist more avenues of new aesthetic inquiry than collage and assemblage. The elements of collage and assemblage are separately noticeable which makes them quintessential modern media.
Collage turned three-dimensional is called assemblage. My work is developed from the collage tradition. More than an art technique, collage represents a state of mind that runs parallel to the modern world. Cutting and pasting have introduced irreversible change into the age-old pictorial rectangle, and have altered the ways that visual space is perceived. Contemporary sculpture has changed, and my work is at the forefront and an integral part of that change, in the main stream of modern art moving into the new millennium. The evidence of this artist' hand is crucial to the sometimes-strange mix that is art ; thusly, the work speaks of presence in the real-space interaction between viewer and object.
I tend to explore art and scale in two & three-dimensional formats. I use a lot of paper in my work and constantly seeking new statements to make with it. That, to me is the path to growth and avoids stagnation and limitation. There is a challenge in the process of moving back and forth with the dimension, style, media, and scale. Also, an opportunity to interact and incorporate findings of the disciplines involved. With emphasis on three-dimensional expressions, the intrest is focusing on a collaborative effort to make stronger connections with the universal language of musical power, and its effects on the spiritual power.
Defining more accuratly what I refer to as Audio-Visual Abstraction, a fusion of art and music. That phenomenon occurring in the creative process of making a visual statement in conjunction with listening to improvisational jazz or theme structured jazz. Turning towards the intensely spiritual inspired jazz artists such sa John Coltrane, Billy Harper, and others for study and stimulation of the spirit through music. I truly believe art "felt" as well as seen, and music should be "felt" and not merely "heard".
Don Griffin - Biographical Information
Don Griffin was born in Washington , DC, and the younger of two childern. His father worked for the Federal Government's Defense Supply Agency. He was also an expert cabinetmaker. During the fifties he was a pioneer in the business of building Custom High Fidelity Speaker Systems.
The Federal Government also employed his mother in the Pentagon. The Family moved to Baltimore Maryland when Don was age three. As a child he discovered drawing and it stuck with him throughout his school years. He later studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Griffin says it was here he actually discovered that he really was an artist. Revealed while listening to a lecture on his major [Interior Design], he said it hit him like a freight train, "I'm an Artist"!
Griffin's first encounter with exhibitions occurred at an organized event held at the Sphinx Club on Pennsylvania Avenue. He had one or two Realist works in the show. However, his father entered a Realist Painting in a government exhibition. An offer was made to purchase the work and this stimulated him to go on. His next bout with exhibiting was not until the eighties, when he joined the Maryland Art League. It seems everything that came along, as an opportunity to exhibit Griffin would accommodate.
After a few years with the Art League, Don and his Sister became founding members of the Art Gallery of Fells point. He held the elected office of First Vice President, his Sister became Treasurer. Griffin reached a turning point and decided it was time to venture out on his own, and severed ties to organizations.
In the late eighties he contacted a gallery owner in Washington, DC. It was Henrietta Ersham, the owner of Henri Gallery. Henri saw much potential in his work and decided to represent him. Henri was a supporter of avant-gard artist. In 1994 Henri departed life and the gallery closed. In 1966 he was selected by Art Communication International for inclusion in the most comprehensive Compact Disk Collection Of contemporary art ever assembled. The Best Contemporary Art CD-ROM Series, The Juried Collection 1996. It contains artwork from 326 artists selected by a Jury of art professionals from 10,000 slides submitted as a result of a worldwide call for entries. Griffin was also selected for "VIRTUOSITY," an eternal exhibition a virtual Art Fair in New York City and largest juried Art Exhibition ever assembled on
interactive 3-D CD-ROM. Selected by a distinguished panel of jurors from the following galleries:Allan Stone Gallery, New York / O.K. Harris Gallery, New York / Pamela Auchincloss Gallery, New York / Kouros Gallery, New York/ Curt Marcus Gallery, New York / Knoedler & Company, New York / and David Rubin, Curator 20th Century Art Phoenix Art Museum, Phoenix, Arizona.
EXHIBITIONS 2005
"A State Of Mind"
Villa Julie College
Stevenson, Maryland
"Baltimore City Arts: Turnin tha Corner"
Morgan State University
James E. Lewis Museum of Art
Baltimore, Maryland
"Alero Show"
Washington, DC
"The Masters' Mystery Art Show"
Flordia International University
Miami, FL
"Baltimore Crabtown Project"
Public Art Sculpture
Baltimore, Maryland
EXHIBITIONS 2004
"The Masters' Mystery Art Show"
Flordia International University
Miami, FL
"Handmade Book Show"
Flux Factory
Long Island City, NY
"Matrix"
SUB-BASEMENT ARTIST STUDIOS
Baltimore, MD
"Fusion"
Artscape 2004 Satellite Exhibition
Creative Alliance at the Patterson
Baltimore, MD
"Images 2004"
Central Pennsylvania Festival of The Arts
The Robeson Gallery
Pennsylvania State College
University Park, PA
"Out of Order"
Maryland Art Place
Baltimore, MD
EXHIBITIONS 2003
Doors and Windows Project
"Public Art Installation"
Baltimore, MD
Artscape 2003
Decker Gallery, Maryland Institute College of Art
"Art for Art's Sake"Curated by Darsie Alexander, Associate Curator BMA
Baltimore, MD
Schools 33 Art Center
"Lotta Art"
Baltimore, MD
EXHIBITIONS 2002
Artscape 2002
"Pathways"
Baltimore, MD
Schools 33 Arts Center
"Lotta Art"
Baltimore, MD
"All Hung Show"
Montpelier Cultural Arts Center
Laurel, MD
Montpelier Cultural Arts Center
"Ideas, Elements, and Expressions"
Laurel, MD
"100% American"
Sassafras Gallery
Baltimore Maryland
"Play-National Exhibition"Curated by Ivan C. Karp, O.K. Harris, NY
Kauffman Gallery
Huber Art Center, Shippensburg University
Shippensberg, PA
"Images 2001" Curated by Frederick C. Brandt, Virginia Musuem
Pennsylvania State University
State College, PA
"WISH YOU WERE HERE"
4th Annual Post Card Exhibition
Stocker Center Gallery
Elria, Ohio
"Hexagon"
Sassafras Gallery
Baltimore, Maryland
EXHIBITIONS 2000
"Wish You Were Here"
Third Annual Postcard 2000 Exhibit
Cuyahoga Valley Art Center
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
"Works by Contemporary Maryland Artists 2000"
Goverment House
Annapolis, MD
EXHIBITIONS 1999
"Bold Poetry"
Cade Gallery
Anne Arundel Community College
Arnold, MD
"Sense of Place"
Goverment House
Annapolis, MD
EXHIBITIONS 1998
"16 Annual Exhibition Ivan Karp Selects"
Pleiades Gallery
New York, NY
"14 Annual Exhibition National College Society"
Wickenden Gallery
Cleveland, Ohio
"Art MD "98" Curated By Doreen Bolger, Director Baltimore Museum of Art
Howard County Arts Center
Ellicott City, MD
"Abstraction "98"
The Stage Gallery
Merrick, NY
Robeson Gallery
EXHIBITIONS 1997
"International Art Expo at Carnegie Hall"
The Floating Gallery
New York, NY
"Images '97"
HUB Art Galleries
Pennsylvania State College
State College, PA,
"Group Show"
Montpelier Cultural Arts Center
Laurel, MD
"Out of Order II"
Maryland Art Place
Baltimore, MD
EXHIBITIONS 1996
"Group Show"
Montpelier Cultural Arts Center
Laurel, MD
"Group Show"
Henri Gallery
Washington, DC
"Intranatura"Curated by: Olga Viso, Assistant Director Hirshorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Washington, DC
School 33 Arts Center
Baltimore, MD
EXHIBITIONS 1995
Henri Gallery
Washington, DC
Maryland Art Place
Baltimore, MD
EXHIBITIONS 1994
Montpelier Cultural Arts Center
Laurel, MD
Henri Gallery
Washington, DC
EXHIBITIONS 1993
"State of The Art '93"
The New England Fine Art Institute's
National Invitational Exhibition of American Contemporary Art Boston, Massachusetts
Group Show
Artshowcase
Baltimore, Maryland
"Collage Invitational"
Dundalk Community College
Baltimore, Maryland
EXHIBITIONS 1992
"Group Show"
Henri Gallery
Washington, DC
"New Abstraction"
Pascal Art Gallery
Anne Arundel Community College
Arnold, Maryland
EXHIBITIONS 1991
"Group Show"
Henri Gallery
Washington, DC
EXHIBITIONS 1990
"Group Show"
CDS Gallery
Albuquerque, New Mexico
"Group Show"
Corporate Exhibit: Eppler Guerin & Turner, Inc.
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Montpelier Cultural Arts Center
Laurel, Maryland
"Group Show"
Interiors by M.E., Inc.
Baltimore, Maryland
"Group Show"
Tomlinson Crafts Collection
Baltimore, Maryland
EXHIBITIONS 1989-1979
"One Man"
Unicorn Gallery
Baltimore, Maryland
"One Man"
Center Form Gallery
Baltimore, Maryland
"One Man"
Baltimore County Court House
Towson, Maryland
"Group Show"
Langsdale Gallery
University of Maryland
Baltimore, Maryland
"Large Canvas Exhibition" Curated by Grace Hartigan Gallery on the Circle
Annapolis, Maryland
"Group Show"
Johns Hopkins Turner Auditorium
Baltimore, Maryland
"Group Show"
Art Gallery of Fells Point, Inc.
Baltimore, Maryland
"One Man"
Essex Community College
Baltimore, Maryland
"Group Show"
Gallery 11 West
St. George, Utah
"One Man"
Newberry Farms Art Gallery
Newberry, Pennsylvania
EXHIBITIONS 1989-1970
"One Man"
Gallery 409
Eubie Blake Cultural Center
Baltimore, Maryland
"Group Show"
Slayton House Gallery
Colnmbia, Maryland
AWARDS
SELECTED FOR TOP TEN BEST SHOWS 2004"Baltimore City Paper." "Matrix" One Man Show Featured Two Individual Installations.
"AWARD OF EXCELLENCE" for outstanding achievement and participation in The Floating Gallery International Art Expo 1997 at Carnegie Hall, New York City.
"DISTINGUISHED MERIT AWARD"The Maryland National Capital Park and planning Commission, Riverdale, Maryland
"FINALIST AWARD" Selected as one of the 175 Finalist Artist from over 4,300 entrants in the Artist's Liaison National Competition. Finalists were documented in a full color catalogue.
EDUCATION
Studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art
Baltimore, Maryland
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Collection of Ellen Myette, Assistant Director, Renwick Gallery of The National Museum of American Art, Washington, DC
Doreen Bolger, Art Director Baltimore Museum of Art
Baltimore, Maryland
Collection of Helen Schnoebelen
Meredith, New Hampshire
Collection of Amy Johanson
Baltimore, Maryland
Vic Carter, WJZ TV Anchorman
Baltimore, Maryland
Ken Warwick, Architect
Baltimore, Maryland
Carole Morgan
Lutherville, Maryland
Clara Ines Arana
Baltimore, Maryland
Martina P. Callum
Baltimore, Maryland
John Lewis, Art Dircetor Baltimore Magazine
Baltimore, Maryland
Diana R. Harris
Gwynn Oak, Maryland
Jeffrey Kent
Baltimore, Maryland
Brian Petro
Washington, DC
Helene Daniel
Washington, DC
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