Paul Garvey, November 2006

Paul Garvey, in studio

Paul Garvey’s paintings focus on figural compositions that explore the energy and enigmatic spirit of abstraction. His current series is characterized by emphatic renderings of biomorphic shapes and unusual arrangements that often combine erratic brushstrokes with broad planes of color. At times Garvey allows the paint to drip from the surface of the canvas, lending a sense of fluidity to the abstracted configurations. Using flattened, conceptual variations of the human form, Garvey succeeds in stretching the viewers' imagination.

Sprouting from the foundation of realistic depictions, Garvey’s creative sensibilities have gradually evolved toward a more conceptual aesthetic. In effort to give form to ideas that are often intangible and vaguely defined, he incorporates his appreciation for mathematics. By way of example, Garvey associates the algebraic variables of x, y and z with the shapes and color planes in his paintings, both of which serve as symbols that allow for infinite interpretations.

Garvey Exhibit @ HBO

Garvey is a native of Toronto and has lived in Los Angeles since 1991. His career as a painter has afforded numerous exhibitions in public and private venues throughout Southern California, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the entertainment studios of Metro Goldwyn Mayer, 20th Century Fox, and Warner Brothers.