Graham Goddard
Encyclopedia
Graham Goddard is a Trinidadian American conceptual artist known for making visual statements about the environment, spirituality and commodification through painting
, sculpture
and site-specific land art
installations. Goddard's work has been exhibited at the Skirball Museum
, the California African American Museum and numerous art galleries in the United States and abroad. Graham Goddard is considered one of the top emerging artists living and working in Los Angeles
, California
under the age of 30.
. As a child Goddard received training in watercolor painting
from Rockland Center for the Arts
and had his first solo exhibition in 1992 at the age of 10 at the Filkenstein Gallery in New York. As a child Goddard won numerous art contests including Coca Cola's national art competition in 1995. In 1995 Graham Goddard was the youngest artist selected to attend the prestigious New York State Summer School of the Arts
(NYSSSA) in Cazenovia, New York
. Goddard attended Spring Valley High School, and painted a mural in the school's main hallway titled "Land of the Tiger;" the painting was filled with hidden imagery inspired by artist Bev Doolittle
.
Graham Goddard studied Fine Arts at the University of Southern California
(USC) (Class of 2004, BFA). At USC Goddard explored inverted imagery and developed the Rotating Canvas after being inspired by the paintings of 14th century Italian painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo
. Goddard's Rotating Canvas allows the viewer to turn the painting 180 degrees, exposing inverted images within his work. He first introduced the concept in the exhibition "Flip" at the Helen Lindhurst Fine Arts Gallery in 2004.
to develop a high-end clothing line which fused art and fashion.
In 2008, Goddard's miniature painting
series was exhibited at Sargent's Fine Art in Maui, Hawaii. Goddard also started exploring spirituality
in his paintings and included references to the Bible
in watercolor paintings such as "Almost Time," which explored his interest in faith
and included his feelings of displacement as a Trinidadian in the United States. Goddard's collectors during this period included singer and actress Vanessa Williams
, actress Regina King
, actress Gabrielle Union
, boxing champion Laila Ali
and actress Ana Ortiz
.
. Co-conceived by CAAM and the Skirball, the exhibition marked the first time in history that the institutions collaborated. With the goal of inspiring visitors to reflect upon the active role we must all play in bringing about a more just, equitable, and peaceful future, "An Idea Called Tomorrow" showcased new works by fifteen contemporary artists that imagine what a civil future looks like. The participating artists’ ethnicities and backgrounds were as diverse as their presentations, which addressed a broad range of social justice
issues of both regional and global relevance, such as environmental sustainability, shelter for all, human equity, equal access
and respect, healthy living, reconciliation and forgiveness
, and cooperation
and peace
.
Graham Goddard was invited to exhibit his 50 foot site-specific instillation "Paradigm" in front of the museum. Paradigm is a minimalist site-specific installation designed to expose the pollution of an environment. The installation of "Paradigm" marked the first time in history that the museum officially exhibited an artists work in front of the institution. Artist Charles Dickson was also invited to install his sculpture, "Wishing on a Star," on the East side of the museum as part of the exhibition. Other notable artists that participated in the exhibition included Joyce Dallal, John Outerbridge
, Dominique Moody, John Halaka, Karen Seneferu, Jane Castillo and Kim Abeles.
At the Skirball Museum's "An Idea Called Tomorrow II," (November 19, 2009 - March 7, 2010) Graham Goddard exhibited the conceptual plans and a maquette
of "Paradigm." Graham Goddard is the first Trinidadian in history to exhibit at the Skirball Museum. The exhibition received over 100,000 visitors while it was open. Inspired by land art
ists such as Robert Smithson
, Andy Goldsworthy
and Christo and Jeanne Claude, Graham Goddard displayed blueprints designed to instruct the viewer how to build "Paradigm" for themselves, suggesting that anyone could create what Goddard created and contribute to constructive ecological action to renew the environment.
works by Graham Goddard designed to investigate their surrounding environments as objects consisting of a process of ongoing relationships between man and nature while addressing our ecological responsibility towards a healthy environment tomorrow.
Graham Goddard places “Paradigm” in multiple locations that are at risk and affected by pollution, such as mountains, deserts and watersheds. For an "Idea Called Tomorrow" at the Skirball Museum and the California African American Museum, Goddard proposed the installation of “Paradigm” in the Ballona Creek
, a toxic watershed in Culver City, California
.
“Paradigm” aspires to ensure that sites such as Ballona Creek are no longer seen as a “thing-in-themselves,” but instead as physical regions consisting of layered evidence of multiple issues that need attention and support so that they could become cleaner and healthier environments. "Paradigm," consists of a series of objects- each dedicated to a pollutent of the environment that it is placed in. In Ballona Creek, Paradigm's eight objects were dedicated to toxins found in the creeks water, such as Cyanide
, Coliform Bacteria
, Copper
, Zinc
, etc., according to the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board’s Santa Monica Bay Watershed Management Area summary in 2009. The toxins are currently discharged into the Pacific Ocean
affecting the wildlife and quality of the water, resulting in an acute health risk for humans swimming, surfing and eating the fish. The grouping of Paradigm would investigate the space in which the water is held and the relationship of its contents to the surrounding community. "Paradigm" has a universal aesthetic while existing as functional art by trapping trash that flows down the Ballona Creek.
“Paradigm” is an example of our capacity to impact and control nature’s elements while exposing the environment’s desperate need for our constructive intervention
. Graham Goddard’s work also encourages new ways of seeing a familiar landscape
and explores our preconceived notions of what a “Creek
” is or should be. The work’s abstract aesthetic
challenges the theoretical validity of the Picturesque
, introduced by William Gilpin in 1782, by exploring the dialectic between the physical landscape and its temporal context. Paradigm’s presence would also amplify the Ballona creek’s characteristics, such as algae
and objects of pollution
found on the site, which have transformed Ballona Creek into a landscape that is layered with the evidence of natural growth, weathering
and the perverse signs of destructive human behavior.
nature of Trinidad’s ever-changing forest
by eliminating and substituting it with black backgrounds, fading backdrops and inverted images. Goddard’s work also explored the detritus of transition and change: the debris and scattered sediment of one’s journey, filled with choices that result in personal introspection
and growth. Masked with traditional Trinidadian imagery, such as native birds, fruit and flora, Graham Goddard’s paintings were occasionally deceptive and subtly addressed issues of displacement and capitalism
while encouraging the viewer to be optimistic about life’s challenges. Legendary carnival designer Brian MacFarlene and Trinidadian artist Carlisle Harris were in attendance. Graham Goddard is scheduled to have a solo exhibition at Horizon's Fine Art in May 2011.
In 2009 Goddard exhibited at the Avenue 50 Gallery's "365 and Counting" Exhibition in Los Angeles. Goddard featured the inverted painting "Hope in a World of Peril." Notable artists in the exhibition included Chukes, CCH Pounder
and Yrneh Brown. "Hope In a World of Peril" explored text from the Book of Revelation
in the Bible and addressed the perilous political climate that the United States was in as President Barack Obama
completed his historical first year in office as President of the United States
.
Graham Goddard is scheduled to have a solo exhibition at LA Artcore on March 2, 2011 - March 27, 2011. The exhibition, titled "Graham Goddard's American Playground," will feature a new body of work by the artist, including his controversial painting "America at Play," which explores the major issues that the United States has faced for the last 10 years. Highlighting the discrimination
, exploitation
and controversial topics that affect Americans, the painting uses a playground of children as a metaphor for the United States’ tumultuous political climate. “America at Play” addresses the issues of Same Sex Marriage, immigration
, Native American
exploitation, Polygamy
, the World Trade Center bombing and Hurricane Katrina
. At 9 feet long and 6 feet tall, “America at Play” exists as a powerful protagonist in the fight for full and equal rights
of all Americans.
, the University of Southern California
and Fox Lane High School
in Bedford, New York
.
In 2008 Graham Goddard launched the "Surrender a Moment to God" project which encourages at-risk inner city
youth to contribute to a large painting by drawing, painting, or writing statements explaining what surrendering to God means to them. Over 200 at-risk youth in Southern California
have contributed to the project. Goddard believes that when young people are faced with tough circumstances, the simplest and most powerful thing they can do is get closer to God.
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
and site-specific land art
Land art
Land art, Earthworks , or Earth art is an art movement which emerged in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s, in which landscape and the work of art are inextricably linked...
installations. Goddard's work has been exhibited at the Skirball Museum
Skirball Cultural Center
The Skirball Cultural Center is an educational institution in Los Angeles, California devoted to sustaining Jewish heritage and American democratic ideals. Open to the public since 1996, the Skirball Cultural Center is dedicated to exploring the connections between 4,000 years of Jewish heritage...
, the California African American Museum and numerous art galleries in the United States and abroad. Graham Goddard is considered one of the top emerging artists living and working in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
under the age of 30.
Early life
Graham Goddard was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad. In 1989, the Goddard’s moved from Woodbrook, Trinidad to Spring Valley, New YorkSpring Valley, New York
Spring Valley, incorporated on July 9, 1902 is a village spanning the Town of Ramapo and Town of Clarkstown in Rockland County, New York, United States located north of Nanuet; east of Airmont and Monsey; south of Hillcrest and west of West Nyack...
. As a child Goddard received training in watercolor painting
Watercolor painting
Watercolor or watercolour , also aquarelle from French, is a painting method. A watercolor is the medium or the resulting artwork in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water-soluble vehicle...
from Rockland Center for the Arts
Rockland Center for the Arts
Rockland Center for the Arts is a non-profit cultural center in West Nyack, Rockland County, New York.The Center, co-founded by Pulitzer Prize winner Maxwell Anderson, celebrated its 40th anniversary in 1987....
and had his first solo exhibition in 1992 at the age of 10 at the Filkenstein Gallery in New York. As a child Goddard won numerous art contests including Coca Cola's national art competition in 1995. In 1995 Graham Goddard was the youngest artist selected to attend the prestigious New York State Summer School of the Arts
New York State Summer School of the Arts
The New York State Summer School of the Arts is a series of summer residential programs for New York State high school students. It provides intensive pre-professional training with internationally acclaimed artists and artistic companies. It is open to all New York State high school age students...
(NYSSSA) in Cazenovia, New York
Cazenovia, New York
Cazenovia is a town in Madison County, New York, United States. The population was 6,481 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Theophilus Cazenove, an agent of the Holland Land Company.The Town of Cazenovia has a village also named Cazenovia...
. Goddard attended Spring Valley High School, and painted a mural in the school's main hallway titled "Land of the Tiger;" the painting was filled with hidden imagery inspired by artist Bev Doolittle
Bev Doolittle
Bev Doolittle is an American artist working mainly in watercolor paints. She paints scenes of the American West that feature themes of Native American life, wild animals, horses, and landscapes. Doolittle's technical mastery of the watercolor medium has brought her notice since her early work as a...
.
Graham Goddard studied Fine Arts at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
(USC) (Class of 2004, BFA). At USC Goddard explored inverted imagery and developed the Rotating Canvas after being inspired by the paintings of 14th century Italian painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo
Giuseppe Arcimboldo
Giuseppe Arcimboldo was an Italian painter best known for creating imaginative portrait heads made entirely of such objects as fruits, vegetables, flowers, fish, and books – that is, he painted representations of these objects on the canvas arranged in such a way that the whole collection of...
. Goddard's Rotating Canvas allows the viewer to turn the painting 180 degrees, exposing inverted images within his work. He first introduced the concept in the exhibition "Flip" at the Helen Lindhurst Fine Arts Gallery in 2004.
Early Work
In 2005 Goddard investigated the ideas of family legacy and artist exploitation through inverted imagery and abstract expressionist paintings. During this period Goddard exhibited at numerous galleries and venues including Feinstein Art Gallery, JAMCAAR and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Consulate of New York. In 2007 Goddard teamed up with legendary fashion designer Karl KaniKarl Kani
Karl Kani is the fashion designer, founder and CEO of the Hip Hop fashion brand Karl Kani. Karl Kani was launched in 1989 as a fashion forward and Hip Hop influenced clothing line...
to develop a high-end clothing line which fused art and fashion.
In 2008, Goddard's miniature painting
Portrait miniature
A portrait miniature is a miniature portrait painting, usually executed in gouache, watercolour, or enamel.Portrait miniatures began to flourish in 16th century Europe and the art was practiced during the 17th century and 18th century...
series was exhibited at Sargent's Fine Art in Maui, Hawaii. Goddard also started exploring spirituality
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
in his paintings and included references to the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
in watercolor paintings such as "Almost Time," which explored his interest in faith
Faith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
and included his feelings of displacement as a Trinidadian in the United States. Goddard's collectors during this period included singer and actress Vanessa Williams
Vanessa L. Williams
Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...
, actress Regina King
Regina King
Regina King is an American film and television actress. She is well known for her role as Mary Jenkins's studious daughter, Brenda Jenkins, on the 1980s sitcom, 227, and for her critically acclaimed supporting role in the feature film Jerry Maguire...
, actress Gabrielle Union
Gabrielle Union
Gabrielle Monique Union is an American actress and former model. Among her notable roles is as the cheerleader opposite Kirsten Dunst in the film Bring it On. Union starred opposite Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in the blockbuster film Bad Boys II and played a medical doctor in the CBS drama...
, boxing champion Laila Ali
Laila Ali
Laila Amaria Ali is a retired American professional boxer. She is the daughter of boxing legend Muhammad Ali from his third wife Veronica Porsche Ali.-Boxing career:...
and actress Ana Ortiz
Ana Ortiz
Ana Ortíz is an American actress and singer. She is a native of Manhattan, but was raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was a regular cast-member on the ABC comedy-drama series Ugly Betty, in which she plays the title character's older sister, Hilda Suarez...
.
"Inside My Head"- California African American Museum
In May 2009 Graham Goddard was invited to exhibit in the California African American Museum's exhibition, "Inside My Head: Intuitive Artists of African Descent," curated by Mar Hollingsworth. The exhibition showcased works by 32 contemporary artists of African descent who have developed a mature style in an intuitive manner. The exhibition explored pure artistic creativity and validated the connection to ethnic-specific traditions and ways of doing. Goddard exhibited the inverted watercolor and acrylic paintings "Legacy" and "God's Speed." The exhibit also featured Goddard's works "In the Smallest Places," "On the Precipice of Faith," and "Word Travels." The works incorporated Goddard's West Indian heritage and addressed America's struggle with spirituality. Notable artists also in the exhibition included Noah Purifoy, Maime Hansberry, Toni Scott, Malik Seneferu, Michael Massenburg and Timothy Washington."An Idea Called Tomorrow"- The Skirball Museum & California African American Museum
"An Idea Called Tomorrow" (November 19, 2009 - May 8, 2010) was a historical collaborative partnership between the California African American Museum (CAAM) and the Skirball MuseumSkirball Cultural Center
The Skirball Cultural Center is an educational institution in Los Angeles, California devoted to sustaining Jewish heritage and American democratic ideals. Open to the public since 1996, the Skirball Cultural Center is dedicated to exploring the connections between 4,000 years of Jewish heritage...
. Co-conceived by CAAM and the Skirball, the exhibition marked the first time in history that the institutions collaborated. With the goal of inspiring visitors to reflect upon the active role we must all play in bringing about a more just, equitable, and peaceful future, "An Idea Called Tomorrow" showcased new works by fifteen contemporary artists that imagine what a civil future looks like. The participating artists’ ethnicities and backgrounds were as diverse as their presentations, which addressed a broad range of social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
issues of both regional and global relevance, such as environmental sustainability, shelter for all, human equity, equal access
Equal Access
Equal Access is an international not-for-profit organization that provides information and education about healthcare and social issues through radio in developing countries...
and respect, healthy living, reconciliation and forgiveness
Forgiveness
Forgiveness is typically defined as the process of concluding resentment, indignation or anger as a result of a perceived offense, difference or mistake, or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution. The Oxford English Dictionary defines forgiveness as 'to grant free pardon and to give up all...
, and cooperation
Cooperation
Cooperation or co-operation is the process of working or acting together. In its simplest form it involves things working in harmony, side by side, while in its more complicated forms, it can involve something as complex as the inner workings of a human being or even the social patterns of a...
and peace
Peace
Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
.
Graham Goddard was invited to exhibit his 50 foot site-specific instillation "Paradigm" in front of the museum. Paradigm is a minimalist site-specific installation designed to expose the pollution of an environment. The installation of "Paradigm" marked the first time in history that the museum officially exhibited an artists work in front of the institution. Artist Charles Dickson was also invited to install his sculpture, "Wishing on a Star," on the East side of the museum as part of the exhibition. Other notable artists that participated in the exhibition included Joyce Dallal, John Outerbridge
John Outerbridge
John Outterbridge is an African American artist and community activist living in Los Angeles, California.He was the first director of the Watts Towers Art Center, and served in that role for seventeen years. His sculpture work has been reviewed in the New York Times, and his work is owned by...
, Dominique Moody, John Halaka, Karen Seneferu, Jane Castillo and Kim Abeles.
At the Skirball Museum's "An Idea Called Tomorrow II," (November 19, 2009 - March 7, 2010) Graham Goddard exhibited the conceptual plans and a maquette
Maquette
A maquette is a small scale model or rough draft of an unfinished architectural work or a sculpture...
of "Paradigm." Graham Goddard is the first Trinidadian in history to exhibit at the Skirball Museum. The exhibition received over 100,000 visitors while it was open. Inspired by land art
Land art
Land art, Earthworks , or Earth art is an art movement which emerged in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s, in which landscape and the work of art are inextricably linked...
ists such as Robert Smithson
Robert Smithson
Robert Smithson was an American artist famous for his land art.-Background and education:Smithson was born in Passaic, New Jersey and studied painting and drawing in New York City at the Art Students League of New York....
, Andy Goldsworthy
Andy Goldsworthy
Andy Goldsworthy, OBE is a British sculptor, photographer and environmentalist producing site-specific sculpture and land art situated in natural and urban settings. He lives and works in Scotland.-Life and career:The son of F...
and Christo and Jeanne Claude, Graham Goddard displayed blueprints designed to instruct the viewer how to build "Paradigm" for themselves, suggesting that anyone could create what Goddard created and contribute to constructive ecological action to renew the environment.
"Paradigm"- Site-specific installation
"Paradigm" is part of a series of land artLand art
Land art, Earthworks , or Earth art is an art movement which emerged in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s, in which landscape and the work of art are inextricably linked...
works by Graham Goddard designed to investigate their surrounding environments as objects consisting of a process of ongoing relationships between man and nature while addressing our ecological responsibility towards a healthy environment tomorrow.
Graham Goddard places “Paradigm” in multiple locations that are at risk and affected by pollution, such as mountains, deserts and watersheds. For an "Idea Called Tomorrow" at the Skirball Museum and the California African American Museum, Goddard proposed the installation of “Paradigm” in the Ballona Creek
Ballona Creek
Ballona Creek is an waterway in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, whose watershed drains the Los Angeles basin, from the Santa Monica Mountains on the north, the Harbor Freeway on the east, and the Baldwin Hills on the south...
, a toxic watershed in Culver City, California
Culver City, California
Culver City is a city in western Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 38,883, up from 38,816 at the 2000 census. It is mostly surrounded by the city of Los Angeles, but also shares a border with unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Culver...
.
“Paradigm” aspires to ensure that sites such as Ballona Creek are no longer seen as a “thing-in-themselves,” but instead as physical regions consisting of layered evidence of multiple issues that need attention and support so that they could become cleaner and healthier environments. "Paradigm," consists of a series of objects- each dedicated to a pollutent of the environment that it is placed in. In Ballona Creek, Paradigm's eight objects were dedicated to toxins found in the creeks water, such as Cyanide
Cyanide
A cyanide is a chemical compound that contains the cyano group, -C≡N, which consists of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom. Cyanides most commonly refer to salts of the anion CN−. Most cyanides are highly toxic....
, Coliform Bacteria
Coliform bacteria
Coliform bacteria are a commonly used bacterial indicator of sanitary quality of foods and water. They are defined as rod-shaped Gram-negative non-spore forming bacteria which can ferment lactose with the production of acid and gas when incubated at 35-37°C...
, Copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
, Zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
, etc., according to the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board’s Santa Monica Bay Watershed Management Area summary in 2009. The toxins are currently discharged into the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
affecting the wildlife and quality of the water, resulting in an acute health risk for humans swimming, surfing and eating the fish. The grouping of Paradigm would investigate the space in which the water is held and the relationship of its contents to the surrounding community. "Paradigm" has a universal aesthetic while existing as functional art by trapping trash that flows down the Ballona Creek.
“Paradigm” is an example of our capacity to impact and control nature’s elements while exposing the environment’s desperate need for our constructive intervention
Interventionism (politics)
Interventionism is a term for a policy of non-defensive activity undertaken by a nation-state, or other geo-political jurisdiction of a lesser or greater nature, to manipulate an economy or society...
. Graham Goddard’s work also encourages new ways of seeing a familiar landscape
Landscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
and explores our preconceived notions of what a “Creek
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
” is or should be. The work’s abstract aesthetic
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
challenges the theoretical validity of the Picturesque
Picturesque
Picturesque is an aesthetic ideal introduced into English cultural debate in 1782 by William Gilpin in Observations on the River Wye, and Several Parts of South Wales, etc. Relative Chiefly to Picturesque Beauty; made in the Summer of the Year 1770, a practical book which instructed England's...
, introduced by William Gilpin in 1782, by exploring the dialectic between the physical landscape and its temporal context. Paradigm’s presence would also amplify the Ballona creek’s characteristics, such as algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
and objects of pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
found on the site, which have transformed Ballona Creek into a landscape that is layered with the evidence of natural growth, weathering
Weathering
Weathering is the breaking down of rocks, soils and minerals as well as artificial materials through contact with the Earth's atmosphere, biota and waters...
and the perverse signs of destructive human behavior.
Gallery Exhibitions
In December 2009 Graham Goddard was invited to exhibit at Horizon's Fine Art in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago with Bob Mackie and Jonathon Guy-Gladding. Goddard's large acrylic paintings investigated the ephemeralEphemeral
Ephemeral things are transitory, existing only briefly. Typically the term is used to describe objects found in nature, although it can describe a wide range of things....
nature of Trinidad’s ever-changing forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
by eliminating and substituting it with black backgrounds, fading backdrops and inverted images. Goddard’s work also explored the detritus of transition and change: the debris and scattered sediment of one’s journey, filled with choices that result in personal introspection
Introspection
Introspection is the self-observation and reporting of conscious inner thoughts, desires and sensations. It is a conscious and purposive process relying on thinking, reasoning, and examining one's own thoughts, feelings, and, in more spiritual cases, one's soul...
and growth. Masked with traditional Trinidadian imagery, such as native birds, fruit and flora, Graham Goddard’s paintings were occasionally deceptive and subtly addressed issues of displacement and capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
while encouraging the viewer to be optimistic about life’s challenges. Legendary carnival designer Brian MacFarlene and Trinidadian artist Carlisle Harris were in attendance. Graham Goddard is scheduled to have a solo exhibition at Horizon's Fine Art in May 2011.
In 2009 Goddard exhibited at the Avenue 50 Gallery's "365 and Counting" Exhibition in Los Angeles. Goddard featured the inverted painting "Hope in a World of Peril." Notable artists in the exhibition included Chukes, CCH Pounder
CCH Pounder
Carol Christine Hilaria Pounder , known professionally as C. C. H. Pounder , is a Guyanese-American film and television actress...
and Yrneh Brown. "Hope In a World of Peril" explored text from the Book of Revelation
Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament. The title came into usage from the first word of the book in Koine Greek: apokalupsis, meaning "unveiling" or "revelation"...
in the Bible and addressed the perilous political climate that the United States was in as President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
completed his historical first year in office as President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
.
Graham Goddard is scheduled to have a solo exhibition at LA Artcore on March 2, 2011 - March 27, 2011. The exhibition, titled "Graham Goddard's American Playground," will feature a new body of work by the artist, including his controversial painting "America at Play," which explores the major issues that the United States has faced for the last 10 years. Highlighting the discrimination
Discrimination
Discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of an individual based on their membership in a certain group or category. It involves the actual behaviors towards groups such as excluding or restricting members of one group from opportunities that are available to another group. The term began to be...
, exploitation
Exploitation
This article discusses the term exploitation in the meaning of using something in an unjust or cruel manner.- As unjust benefit :In political economy, economics, and sociology, exploitation involves a persistent social relationship in which certain persons are being mistreated or unfairly used for...
and controversial topics that affect Americans, the painting uses a playground of children as a metaphor for the United States’ tumultuous political climate. “America at Play” addresses the issues of Same Sex Marriage, immigration
Immigration
Immigration is the act of foreigners passing or coming into a country for the purpose of permanent residence...
, Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
exploitation, Polygamy
Polygamy
Polygamy is a marriage which includes more than two partners...
, the World Trade Center bombing and Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
. At 9 feet long and 6 feet tall, “America at Play” exists as a powerful protagonist in the fight for full and equal rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
of all Americans.
Philanthropy and Community Involvement
Graham Goddard has been a guest speaker at colleges and high schools including Loyola Marymount UniversityLoyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University is a comprehensive co-educational private Roman Catholic university in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions located in Los Angeles, California, United States...
, the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
and Fox Lane High School
Fox Lane High School
Fox Lane High School is a public secondary school located in the town of Bedford, New York. It is named after the road, Fox Lane, that begins just to the side of the school's driveway. Fox Lane is considered to be one of Westchester County's top public high schools, noted for its commitment to...
in Bedford, New York
Bedford (town), New York
Bedford is a town in Westchester County, New York, USA. The population was 17,335 at the 2010 census.The Town of Bedford is located in the northeastern part of Westchester County, and contains the three hamlets of Bedford Hills, Bedford Village, and Katonah...
.
In 2008 Graham Goddard launched the "Surrender a Moment to God" project which encourages at-risk inner city
Inner city
The inner city is the central area of a major city or metropolis. In the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland, the term is often applied to the lower-income residential districts in the city centre and nearby areas...
youth to contribute to a large painting by drawing, painting, or writing statements explaining what surrendering to God means to them. Over 200 at-risk youth in Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
have contributed to the project. Goddard believes that when young people are faced with tough circumstances, the simplest and most powerful thing they can do is get closer to God.