Garret Perry

Biography

I was born in 1984 and raised in the south suburbs of Minnesota. For as long as I can remember I have always liked to draw. Through high school I pushed this hobby into a love of painting. I am currently enrolled at the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul. I am working on my Bachelor of Fine Arts, with concentration in drawing and painting. When finished I plan on pursuing my Master’s degree on the East coast. While doing a lot of work in school, I also have a large body of work that has been done outside of school.

How I do what I do – artist statement

Painting for me is a searching and discovery process, approaching life through images of media and pop culture. I am inspired of images and ideas related to history and society; this is all manifested into things that encounter my everyday life, always approaching me in new venues. When I begin my process the use of form dictates the content, searching for images and figures to fulfill ideas and concepts. Symbolism of images and the role they produce is what drives my content. I try to verge away from stylistic crutches approaching fresh techniques. The search and process of painting is what is most important. Being a student I am confronted daily with new opportunities and ideas. My work deals heavily with historic and contemporary approaches to painting. Looking at what was and what is being done, giving me options to explore new approaches and theories. The process is over once the painting has been packed with information and has become a narrative of life, no longer a dead object. The paintings and I have a conversation, not understanding the true meaning until much afterthought and recollection.