"Night Driving"
 paintings by
 Anita Giddings

April 6 - April 28, 2012

Opening Reception: Friday, April 6, 6-9 pm 

"Many years ago, while on a trip with my sister, we became lost.  We were driving in an unfamiliar part of the country and the road was obscured with fog.  Even though it was three o¹clock in the morning and we were hundreds of miles from where we were going, I couldn’t help being fascinated with the scene in front of us.  The oncoming headlights of the other cars, the looming hills and trees and the glow of the pavement was a painting in motion.  This is the type of experience I find most inspiring. 

My work is based on the idea of the mysterious phenomena of the natural world.  I explore the juncture between the known and the unknown.  I feel that this borderland between the rational and the mysterious is what has driven the imagination of humankind for generations.  I investigate this connection in my work -  the landscape is my laboratory. 

The human concepts of time and geographic location fascinate me.  I think of our ancestors naming and organizing the world around them.  What could not be explained through observation became the seeds of myths and folklore.  The mysterious time of evening, of pale clouds in a night sky, of inky shadows and disorienting shapes, these are the scenes that I attempt to capture with my paintings.

The paintings are small scale but my intent is to suggest a much larger space.  I currently work in oil on panel using traditional painting methods.  After several years of working in sculpture and installation, I have returned to painting.  I paint for the love of seeing things. I find myself painting the same image over again with slight variations. I want these images in my work, my memory."

Anita has exhibited her work for many years, and has worked in sculpture and installation, in addition to painting. She received her BFA from Herron School of Art, and her MFA from Indiana State University. She currently is the Coordinator of Electives Arts and Senior Lecturer of Fine Art, at Herron School of Art and Design, IUPUI.