Invisible Seeds

Grace Bromley

July 22 - August 12, 2022

Opening reception Friday, August 26th 6-9pm. 

Bob’s Gallery is excited to present Invisible Seeds, an exhibition of paintings from Ridgewood artist Grace Bromley.  

Expressing a deep appreciation for nature, Bromley's traditional approach to painting embraces both the peace and the savage vivacity of the sublime world around us. Therefore, it is not surprising that all her paintings vibrate with stillness and action, danger and innocence, fear and comfort. The introverted Bromley thinks of these paintings as the victories of sharing, the possibilities of presenting to the public. The contorted figures embedded in sand and thickets suggest the dangers of withdrawing into ourselves and getting lost in the wilds of our minds. 

In the soft claustrophobia of her layering approach, we discern objects, characters, and fantasy settings. The animals and their hunters, fruits, food, shelter, all swell together to interact with dreamlike logic. Before we know it, we’re on the other side of the looking glass, hearing twigs crunch beneath our feet and watching saltwater evaporate from the sand. 

She paints from instinct, swatching the canvas with layers of intense color gradually molding abstract forms into perceivable images. Still, the Sisyphean task of sand-sculpting, the art-form’s fragility warning us of a facade’s folly, the limits of over-sculpting ourselves. Her process of refinement reminds one of walking through the woods, where the path blends into ambient textures. Like jolting awake from a dream, Grace Bromley’s paintings leave us with the vivid memories we use to piece together a story.

Grace Bromley (b. 1994) Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, she attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a BFA. Bromley currently is a Queens based artist and educator who will be attending Virginia Commonwealth in the fall to attain her Masters in Fine Art Painting.

Opening: July 22, 2022 6 - 9pm