Gallery Exhibition | Heart of the Matter: The Art of Foad Satterfield

November 9 - December 15, 2014 at the San Marcos Gallery,
Archbishop Alemany Library, Dominican University of California

Artist's Statement

In this retrospective of previously unseen work, I draw inspiration from the Yucatan Peninsula, Costa Rica, Yosemite to parks and urban landscapes in northern California’s east bay. In my nature themes and landscapes water is a recurring metaphor because for me, this element, often unpredictable, represents the stages of renewal and rebirth. In my paintings, water intermingles with earth, air and fire. There is water and earth blended in soft blue brushstrokes as well as in bursts of red, yellow, green and brown.

Like water, throughout the development and layers of construction, the direction of these paintings often shifted irresolutely, forcing me to reconcile an unexpected tension that was both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. I used a variety of implements—palette-knife, brush, fingers— to express the fluidity and textures I observe in the natural world.

There is always a pivotal moment in the making process when the painting stands independent of me, and it is my responsibility to reveal the truth of it. I must step away and ask myself, how do I proceed? By finding the particular tempo, rhythm, and light-giving attitude of each location, I create a visual description—what the heart remembers. I take each place and represent it as a painting that is plastic, sensual, and both intimate and vast.