Gryffin Cook
That Familiar Place, 2025
900x650mm
Oil, graphite, ink on canvas
https://gryffincook.com/garden-path
https://gryffincook.com/i-dream-of-roads-2024
Artist Statement
"There's a lot I could say about this work but in context of the larger projects I've been working on have really been about trying to reconcile a sense of identity with lack of belonging or having a short and troubled historical lineage in NZ.
"So, the work I've been doing has been thinking about childhood, memories, naivety, nostalgia, connection to the land, places of significance, making sense of an ambiguous sense of belonging.
"Materially the work is of course inspired by the rich history of painting and traditional methods of underpainting, finishing and glazing (probably thanks to Miss Park, and studying art history at Westlake Boys High School).
"I've never liked when a painting is finished and think the roughness in gesture of pencil and monochromatic painterly sketches hold something unique that is lost when completely covered up - and in this case the transparent layer of screen-printed ink replaces where an overpainting would normally seal the image. In these recent works the reference images have been from my own childhood - especially photos from road trips around the South Island, kids exploring nature.
"I have a lot of family in the South Island and draw a certain importance to the mountains there almost in a romantic sense of the sublime - but I guess that the resulting image is certainly not sublime but something slightly more apocalyptic or bloody."
C.V.
b. 2001, Auckland, New Zealand.
Westlake Boys High School, NZ. 2015 – 2019
Bachelor of Fine Arts - Elam School of Fine Arts - Auckland, NZ. 2020 – 2023
Fine Arts Research Scholarship – University of Auckland, NZ. 2022
Simon Denny Studios – Berlin, DE. 2023
Filmklasse - Städelschule - Frankfurt, DE. 2024 – ongoing
Transaction - Group Show - George Fraser, Auckland, NZ. October 2022
Moonshot – Solo Show – Scott Lawrie, Auckland, NZ. April 2023
Nelson R.T - Group Show – Nelson, NZ. November 2023
Passing Traces - Group Show - George Fraser, Auckland, NZ. June 2024
I dream of Roads – Group Show - RM Gallery, Auckland, NZ. October 2024
Home – Städelschule Rundgang, Frankfurt, DE. February 2025
