PHILIP GRANT: "MASSACHUSETTS"
The Porter-Phelps Huntington Museum will present a solo exhibition of paintings by award-winning artist Philip Grant. The exhibition of portraits and scenes collectively entitled “Massachusetts,”were inspired by Grant’s neighbors and his daily walks around his home in Hampden, MA. These scenes of daily life in Western Massachusetts form what Grant calls "a visual autobiography." The exhibit will be on display from June 1st to July 24th at the museum’s historic Corn Barn, at 130 River Drive in Hadley Massachusetts.
“Massachusetts” is a series of oil paintings on linen and canvas, completed with a unique combination of modern realist and traditional techniques. The scenes depicted of his neighbors and
locations in and around his home in Hampden form what Grant calls "visual autobiography". Grant drew inspiration from Andrew Wyeth and the Dutch Masters to create images that explore scenes of nature in Western Massachusetts. Recently, Grant completed “A Portrait of Afghanistan” upon reflection of his time in the Peace Corps, and the series debuted at the Porter-Phelps Huntington Museum in the summer of 2017. Before shifting focus to paint, Grant’s career was centered in product design and development, specializing in toys and games, and the influence of this field is seen in his artistic style.
As a winner of awards from the Monson Arts Council, the Piedmont show, and Agawam’s juried art show, Grant is established as a foremost oil painter in the Pioneer Valley.
After recent exhibitions at Bing Arts Center in Springfield and the Public Library in Wilbraham, he is currently preparing a series of paintings of the wetlands of the JerseyShore where he grew up. Beyond his travels in the Middle East and the natural landscape of his home, Grant cites his studies with famed abstract artist and Yale professor Josef Albers, as well as the Bauhaus tradition in which he was trained, as chief influences on his technique and style.
(Click here to view Philip Grant's "Portrait of Afghanistan" Exhibit)