ARTIST STATEMENT: TENDING THE FLAME
During the long nights of winter, cultures around the world have long gathered around the warm light of fire and imbued it with ritual meaning. Tending the Flame is one man’s attempt to keep the spark of creativity burning during a metaphorical time of darkness.
Artist Bryan David Griffith uses fire as a medium to plumb the relationship between nature and humanity. He has developed an original technique of using beeswax and resin to paint with the heat and smoke of an open flame. The resulting works juxtapose geometric forms with organic energy to convey themes of attempted control, disruption, loss, and ultimately—healing.
Griffith draws on his experiences learning about wildfire from fire ecologists, beginning with the 2015 project Fires of Change, sponsored by the Southwest Fire Science Consortium, and continuing with additional research for solo museum exhibitions across the western U.S. His process reflects both the physical and emotional landscapes shaped by wildfire—destruction giving rise to renewal, darkness giving way to light.
Tending the Flame will embody its theme by transforming over time. The opening reception will debut a special piece on view for only two days, November 21 and 22, as part of the nationwide movement Fall of Freedom, which calls upon the creative community to take action on those dates to highlight threats to the arts and freedom of expression. Following the opening weekend, this work will be replaced with others, with a new iteration on view December 5 for First Friday Art Walk from 5-9pm, and another before the show’s closing on January 4th.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Bryan David Griffith explores complex social and environmental issues using simple forms and materials. He learns or invents new techniques as needed to convey the concepts in each body of work. Griffith’s art career began when he stumbled upon an abandoned, dog-eared photo manual and built a makeshift darkroom while studying engineering at the University of Michigan. After graduation, he built a career with an international management consulting firm—but found his job unfulfilling and was troubled by the environmental impact of his clients. He ultimately resigned to follow his conscience. He bought an old van to live out of, saving every dime for gas and supplies as he toured the country to build a new career as an artist. When Griffith’s van broke down in Flagstaff, he fell in love with the Arizona landscape—and then his wife, Tasha. He never left.
His work has since been exhibited in over a dozen solo exhibitions, including the High Desert Museum, Fresno Art Museum, Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum, and Griffin Museum of Photgraphy. It is held in a number of permanent collections including the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Phoenix Art Museum, University of Michigan Museum of Art, Center for Creative Photography, and Fort Wayne Museum of Art.