holly johnson gallery

HOLLY JOHNSON GALLERY // FEB 20 // 5 - 8PM

V I R G I L G R O T F E L D T
Memories and Transformations

Holly Johnson Gallery is located at 1411 Dragon Street in Dallas, Texas 75207.
Gallery hours are 10 to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and by appointment.
For information call 214-369-0169,
email: info@hollyjohnsongallery.com, or visit www.hollyjohnsongallery.com.

Memories and Transformations commemorates the prolific career of the late Virgil
Grotfeldt and focuses on his exploration of the mysterious bond that connects all
elements. In 1997, the artist wrote, "Consideration and study of elements that
converged to compose planet earth is of infinite interest to me, especially within the
context of the evolution of life, culture, and belief systems. The anthropological,
sociological, and geological composition of our world is my source of truth." With
imagery often slightly beyond ones' grasp and constantly on the verge of physical
transformation, Grotfeldt's work developed intuitively, rather than as a consequence
of planning or strategy. He produced works of art with mystical and anthropological
imagery and was influenced by the artist Joseph Beuys, yet was also deeply
expressionistic with affinities to Odilon Redon and the paintings of Victor Hugo.
   He experimented with materials such as coal dust on found ledger pages, nautical
maps, architectural plans, and pages of Braille. Suspended in an aqueous-based
medium, the coal dust is drawn, brushed, and combined with watercolor and oil to
conceive extraordinary forms giving his work a unique three-dimensional aspect.
According to the late Walter Hopps, "Not since the early Pollock or the late Arshile
Gorky have I seen the dimensionally modeled forms as in the biomorphic abstraction
of Virgil Grotfeldt. Nature and abstract form define Grotfeldt's art as well as sustain its
value as a personal meditation upon essential life forces."

Grotfeldt, Constant Memory
   In 2003, a major publication of his work, Virgil Grotfeldt: Including the Series with
Waldo Bien was published by FIUWAC. The text was written by Patrick Healy, Professor
of Interdisciplinary Research at Free International University in Amsterdam and
Architecture Theorist at Delft University of Technology with an introduction written
Walter Hopps.

   Born in 1948 in Illinois, Grotfeldt had a prolific and internationally recognized career.
He graduated with degrees from Eastern Illinois University and the Tyler School of Art in
Philadelphia. Since then he had held a number of teaching positions at schools in
Illinois and Texas - most recently at Houston Baptist University. He was the recipient of
many awards such as Texas Artist of the Year 2003 by the Art League Houston, a grant
from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation in 1999 and The Engelhard Award in 1991. His
work resides in many collections, including The Menil Collection, Houston, Texas;
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, New York; NOG Insurance Company,
Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Free International University World Art Collection, Zeist,
The Netherlands; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas; Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas,
Texas; El Paso Museum of Art, El Paso, Texas; Tyler Museum of Art, Tyler, Texas; and
Upriver Gallery Collection, Chengdu, China. Virgil Grotfeldt passed away in February
of 2009.