Artwork of the Week: July 20
This shop window of bread loaves reflects the artist’s appreciation for individuality and an attention to the everyday world around him. Highlighting baked goods from a range of times and countries, the braided challah wreath and French bâtards have a centuries-long legacy, while tin loaves are relatively recent inventions. Nevertheless, each contains unique value, both in nutritionally and aesthetically. Their arrangement allows the viewer to question whether the bread is on a counter, hanging from a display, or even existing in their own space, inviting the desire for a slice or two.
Gerald Griffin (born 1952) enjoyed a 31-year tenure as a professor at BYU Idaho, in which he created landscape and still life compositions alongside his pupils to help them develop their own perspective of seeing art in the surrounding world. In an interview, he noted that “the thing that I hope that I can ultimately impart to a student is a sense of freedom and individuality when it comes to the pursuit of art. Even though they may be heavily influenced by someone, they need to recognize that they are a unique individual and that they will ultimately make their own contribution in the arts.”
Griffin, Gerald J. “We Seek After These Things.” BYU-I Devotionals & Speeches, April 8, 2024. https://www.byui.edu/speeches/gerald-griffin/we-seek-after-theese-things.
Jacob Spori Art Gallery, and Gerald Julien Griffin. “Interview with the artist Gerald Julien Griffin.” Jacob Spori Art Gallery BYU-Idaho. YouTube, September 22, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEW0p25R4kI
