Whitney Wood Bailey
ARTIST STATEMENT
“We need to know the textures, the rhythms and tastes of the bodily world, and to distinguish readily between those tastes and those of our invention.”
- David Abram
My work provides a field for contemplating an intersection of faith and reason with intuition and logic. It is driven by questions of a metaphysical nature such as how design and orchestration within nature affects our consciousness and how the extraordinary geometries within nature’s design demand the consideration of intelligent design as well as our notions of spirituality. It is important to me, as an artist, to develop a visual vocabulary that will encourage the viewer to examine these types of enigmas. Using both organic and highly controlled painting techniques, the resulting composition is a compromise between excess and restraint, impulse and logic.
I am interested in the augmentation of naturally occurring systems through the application of manmade structures. Within my work, I combine forms that are organic in creation with carefully placed and predetermined mark making. The linear hatch marks in the work represent a form of structure, a repetitive and ritualistic system that has been applied to the naturally occurring elements within this painting process. The combination of the two suggests the idea of a crossroads between faith, reason, instinct, and intellect, which drives this work. This has been expressed through mark making on natural surfaces throughout history, specifically in ancient cave painting.
The idea of human intellect intermingling with the forces of nature fascinates me. I see this as a way to understand and even control self-regulating natural phenomena. It is this pattern seeking nature that allows us to perceive and form epistemological solutions regarding the symbiotic relationship between instinct and intellect. It seems to be a desire that is grafted to the root of humanity. This duality suggests an innate human interest in understanding the nature of the universe. For me, this distills down to a universal human longing for the eternal, for God.
RESUME
Education:
2008 MFA. Painting. Savannah College of Art and Design. Atlanta, GA
2007 London Study Program. Savannah College of Art and Design. London, England
2006 The Art Students League. New York, NY (Student of Larry Poons)
2005/06 Internship, Paul Kasmin Gallery. New York, NY
2005 Pont-Aven School of Contemporary Art (RISD). Pont-Aven, France
2005 BFA. Auburn University. Auburn, AL
2003 Lamar Dodd School of Art. University of Georgia. Cortona, Italy
Exhibitions:
2010 Whitney Wood Bailey: Solo Exhibition. Rymer Gallery. Nashville, TN Upcoming 10/2-10/30
Graphic Abstractions. Moot Gallery. Hong Kong, China. Upcoming 9/13-10/09
Forward Arts Foundation Emerging Artists. Swan Coach House Gallery. Atlanta, GA
Wish You Were Here 9. AIR Gallery. New York, NY
MOCA GA 7th Annual Art Auction. Museum of Contemporary Art. Atlanta, GA
Art Papers 11th Annual Art Auction. Mason Murer Fine Art. Atlanta, GA
In Our Yard. The Rymer Gallery. Nashville, TN
Holiday Salon. Tew Galleries. Atlanta, GA
2009 Hambidge Art Auction. The Foundry at Puritan Mill. Atlanta, GA
MOCA GA Salutes TULA Studio Artists. MOCA GA. Atlanta, GA
Abstractions. Tew Galleries. Atlanta, GA
Whitney Wood Exhibit. Coca-Cola Company Headquarters. Atlanta, GA
Group Exhibition. The Rymer Gallery. Nashville, TN
The Guard and the Van Guard. Bill Lowe Gallery. Atlanta, GA
Variations on Theme: A Study of Abstract Art. Gallery Walk at Terminus. Atlanta, GA
6th Annual MOCA GALA Art Auction. Museum of Contemporary Art. Atlanta, GA
MOCA GA Salutes the Rising Movers & Shakers of the Georgia Art Scene. Museum of
Contemporary Art. Atlanta, GA
2008 Intersections. Solo Exhibition. Mary Stanley Studio. TULA Art Center. Atlanta, GA
New Directions. University of West Georgia Galleries. Carrollton, GA.
Whitney Wood: Visiting Graduate Artist. Solo exhibition. Georgia Society of Contemporary
Painters. Lamar Dodd School of Art. University of Georgia. Athens, GA
SCAD @ Large. The Factory. Atlanta, GA.
Plugged In 35. Atlanta Contemporary Art Center. Atlanta, GA.
Generations 6 Group Invitational Exhibition. A.I.R. Gallery. New York, NY
Currents. 11th Annual Juried Exhibition. William Paterson University. Wayne, NJ
Aktuell National Juried Show. Anne Arundell Community College. Arnold, MD
2007 Room X Room: Exploring Domesticity. Group Exhibition. 52 Westminister St. Atlanta, GA
60th Annual Members Exhibition. Quinlan Visual Arts Center. Gainesville, GA
Off-the-Wall Pin Up Show. Museum of Contemporary Art. Atlanta, GA
Small Print and Sculpture Exhibition. Casa De Culture. Alamos, Senora, Mexico
Wish You Were Here VI. Group Exhibition. A.I.R. Gallery. New York, NY
2006 Art Students League Annual Holiday Exhibition. Phyllis H. Mason Gallery. New York, NY
Sow Generously. Redeemer Fall Juried Exhibition. Redeemer Offices. New York, NY
These Days. Group Exhibition. Two Cities Gallery. Shanghai, China
New York Artists Salon. Two Cities Gallery. Shanghai, China
Wish You Were Here V. Group Exhibition. A.I.R. Gallery. New York, NY
Generations 5 Group Invitational Exhibition. A.I.R. Gallery. New York, NY
2005 Pont-Aven School of Contemporary Art Juried Exhibition. Pont-Aven, France
Soft Boundaries International Show. Biggin Gallery. Auburn, AL
Annual Juried Fine Art Exhibition. Auburn University. Biggin Gallery. Auburn, AL
2004 Rome Art Coterie Annual Juried Exhibition. Rome, GA
Annual Juried Fine Art Exhibition. Auburn University. Biggin Gallery. Auburn, AL
The New Aesthetes. Group Exhibition. Creations Gallery. Columbus, GA
Pleiades: Seven Women Artists Exhibition. Jan Dempsey Art Center. Auburn, AL
Lamar Dodd School of Art Exhibition. University of Georgia Galleries. Athens, GA
2003 Palazzo Casali Group Exhibition. Cortona, Italy
Awards / Honors:
2009 Grant Recipient and Finalist for Forward Arts Foundation Emerging Artist Award 2010
New Artist Initiative Award. The Hambidge Center. Rabun Gap, GA
Artist Residency. Vermont Studio Center. Johnson, VT Sept. 2009
Artist Residency. The Hambidge Center. Rabun Gap, GA Nov. 2009
2008 Selected cover artist for Carnegie Hall Playbill book. New York, NY. Nov. 2008
2007/2008 Artistic Honors Fellowship. Savannah College of Art and Design. Atlanta, GA
2005 Internship. Paul Kasmin Gallery. New York, NY
Auburn University Fine Art Merit Award. Auburn, AL
Reviews/Bibliography:
2010 Artists Should Embrace Atlanta's Open Playing Field by Cinque Hicks. Thurs., Sept 2, 2010
Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles Magazine Blog. Whitney Wood Bailey .June 4, 2010
2009 Art Voices Magazine. The Nebulous Quality of Beauty: A Perspective on Paintings by Whitney
Wood by Jeff Dahlgren. March 2009
2008 Counterforces.blogspot.com. more by Jerry Cullum. 12/03/08
Counterforces.blogspot.com, a roundup of footnotes. by Jerry Cullum. 12/04/08
Carnegie Hall Playbill Magazine. Cover Image: Detail of Untitled I. Nov.2008.
FecalFace.com. Whitney Wood by Manuel Bello.. 06/30/08
2007 MYARTSPACE/Interviews. Art Space Talk: Whitney Wood by Brian Sherwin. 11/03/2007
The Chronicle. Students Engage Themes of Domesticity by Monique Bos. 11/02/07
Curatorial Projects:
2007 Room X Room: Exploring Domesticity. Group Exhibition. 52 Westminster St. Atlanta, GA
2004 Pleiades: Seven Women Artists Exhibition. Jan Dempsey Art Center. Auburn, AL