George Broderick
characterizes his narrative oil painting style as "hyperbolic reality"
as the figures and colors are overstated. The symbolism and color forms
surrounding the figures define their environment, consequently giving
considerable complexity to the figure's character. “The distortion
reflects how the individuals think other people see them,” says
Broderick.
Broderick finds
artistic inspiration for his narrative paintings in his travels and
the many interesting people he has encountered in this world. His
trips to Cuba have had a particularly profound impact, which can be
seen in paintings such as “Mi Cuba,” and “Bird in
Residence.” He feels greatly honored that he was invited to have
a solo exhibition of his work in Havana at the prestigious
Guayasamin gallery in June 2005.
Broderick followed a
nontraditional path to his current role as painter and gallery
owner. He was born in Spring Hill, a mining camp in Montana, USA
and was raised in mining camps and other rural areas of western
Montana. Though he did not pursue art in his youth, instead
choosing the sciences and attending Carnegie Institute of Technology
in Pittsburgh, Pa., he was always drawn to the arts.
Following a
successful career in the computer industry, Broderick decided to
follow his passion and began his study of art in Honolulu, Hawaii.
He continued his studies with the artist Michael Cookinham in San
Francisco, California, and at the Academy of Art college, San
Francisco. His love of art led him to found the Broderick Gallery in
Portland, Oregon in 1997. Since its inception, with only two
artists, the gallery has grown to include more than 30
highly-regarded local, regional, national and international artists.
In addition to
showing at the Broderick Gallery and Guayasamin Gallery, Havana,
Broderick has shown at: All You Knead restaurant gallery in the
Haight Ashbury district, San Francisco; Blue Mountain Community
College, Pendleton, Oregon; Peaceful Arts Gallery, La Grande,
Oregon; and Id Space in Hawaii. His works are in private collections
in the U.S. and Cuba.
Critics have noted Broderick’s
unique works:
On Broderick’s 2005 show in Havana at
Guayasamin: “He visto con detenimiento su expaosicion y tiene
usted todo mi respeto. Por ia forma en que interpreta su, mundo
pictorico. La realidad tecnica y conceptual de la manera en que la
trabaja, ensena su mundo interno. Presente en ellos sus sueños su
esperanza, lo logico. La forma en que interpreta de una manera muy
propia. Su forma de ver el mundo en nora buena.”
....... Roughly translated as,
“I have carefully observed your show and you have all my respect.
You see the world in a pictoral way which is very unique. Through
the conceptual technique you employ, you show us your inside world.
There are your dreams, your hopes ... ”
José Miguel Pérez
Painter and Professor of Art
(retired)
San Alejandro Academy, Havana, Cuba
On Broderick’s 2005 show at Broderick
Gallery, Richard Speer, Willamette Week, described his work
as a "Pick": “With their outsider artist-like lack of
perspective, unlikely color combinations and compositional sense,
the works look like something 1960’s illustrator David DePatie would
have drawn on some grappa-fueled sojourn to Portofino.”
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