Drew Galloway

BIOGRAPHY

Born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1964, Andrew (Drew) Galloway describes his work as an “Oriental esthetic in the Southern vernacular.” He attended the Alabama School of Fine Arts, Memphis Art Academy and received his BFA at Atlanta College of Art in 1987. Galloway’s interests in music, history and literature have influenced and informed his work.

Galloway’s works are created on “found” tin or metal. “I like to collaborate with the natural state of these materials and use their qualities as a creative jumping-off point,” explains Galloway. “Often, an image that I’d previously seen and thought too subtle or quiet is illuminated by a discovery within the aesthetic qualities of the metal. Serendipitous possibilities are awakened so that the end result is a collaboration of my intentions and Mother Nature.” The artist’s fascination in painting still water allows him to explore the boundary between land and water as a metaphor for larger philosophical issues.

Galloway paints scenes from ponds and bayous that punctuate the Southern landscape on materials indigenous to the setting. He first cuts and collages pieces of tin, then treats the metal to prevent further oxidation. The artist forms patterns of metal that emulate arrangements of water lilies, reeds, clouds and iridescence water that are magically realistic. Some areas of the metal’s natural patina are left unpainted, creating the effect of lake bottom and other darkened areas within the paintings.

“Drew Galloway paints with a vivacity and clarity that reaches beyond photographic realism and asserts a kind of poetic intensity that enhances nature beyond reality,” writes Birmingham News art critic James R. Nelson. The New Orleans Review art critic Jeff Rubin says, “The tacked together pieces of tin also bring to mind the photo constructions and collages of artists like David Hockney and Doug and Mike Stern...There is a Zen quality to the composition and relationships among the floating pads of lilies and the zigzag lines of the grasses. The effect of the collated segments of tin is that each painting is subdivided into areas that could be complete within themselves.”

Galloway’s paintings are treasured by private collectors across the country and can be found in many corporate collections, including the Southern Progress Corporation (Southern Accents,) King & Spalding Georgia Artists Collection, The Borgota Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ and the King Plow Arts Center in Atlanta. Galloway’s paintings “Adagio” and “The Dance” received the Judge’s Choice Award in the 1998/99 and 1999/00 National Parks Association ARTS FOR THE PARKS competitions. Galloway is represented by galleries across the country, including the Marcia Wood Gallery in Atlanta, Taylor Bercier in New Orleans, Schedler Gallery in Birmingham, Southside Gallery in Oxford, MS and Fresh Paint Art Advisors in Los Angeles.

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