chris gwaltney

CHRIS GWALTNEY
CHRIS GWALTNEY
Biography
Chris Gwaltney was born in Van Nuys, California. Having sketched
from an early age, he began painting full time at the insistence of an
artist friend after an injury restricted him to crutches for a year and a
half at the age of 23. Soon after he took 1st prize at the Costa Mesa
Art League and later was juried into the Laguna Beach Festival of the
Arts. Deciding to pursue a professional career in art he enrolled at the
University California State Fullerton where he received his Bachelors
of Art in 1984 and consecutively was awarded his Master of Fine Arts
in 1986 and teaching credentials in 1987. While preparing for his
graduate show, he was spotted by gallerist, Diane Nelson who that
same year gave him his first solo exhibition. Over the next 23 years
Gwaltney has been a feature artist with Diane Nelson Fine Art (19861991), Peter Blake Gallery (1993-present), Robert Green Gallery (1997present) and Julie Nester Gallery (2008-present).
Gwaltney's influences hail strongly from the San Francisco figurative
group and include both sculptors and painters such as Nathan
Olivera, Manual Neri, Stephen de Stabler, Joan Brown and Richard
Diebenkorn. In terms of mark-making, he looks to Jean Michel
Basquiat, Cy Twombly, William de Kooning and Joan Mitchell.
For Gwaltney, the importance of the figure is not in the pure
representation but the expression of the gesture. Often a gesture can
say more than words by depicting the beauty of resilience to teenage
awkwardness even the inner strength of
a woman. This gesture acts as a window into the human condition.
His figures attempt to capture the fullness of the human experience.
All his source materials emanate from his family as he believes these
relationships are the most honest expression in his life.
Gwaltney's process is one of construction and then deconstructing
leading to multi-layered meanings. For him, each painting poses an
argument and he finds the evidence that leads to the end just as
pivotal as the completed work. He incorporates poetry from W.S.
Merwin, Walt Whitman and Billy Collins as another element. As
poetry represents the essence of an emotion, in contrast, Gwaltney
finds the exploration of many sensibilities through paint just as
important. He allows for the underlying sketches and the decision
process to come through. In the artwork the argument is a document
of time well spent.
His works appear in numerous public collections such as Rauxa
Direct, Irvine, California, the Irvine Company, Irvine, California,
Finecon, Los Angeles, California, Forms Engineering Company, La
Palma, California, California, Engle and Murphy Design, Long Beach,
California, Quiksilver, Huntington Beach, California, Wallace
Computers, Chicago, Illinois and Adobe Systems, San Francisco,
California.
Gwaltney currently resides in southern California with his wife Jill
and two children.
CHRIS GWALTNEY
Curriculum Vitae
EDUCATION
California Community Colleges, Instructor Credential, 1987
California State University, Fullerton, M.F.A., 1986
California State University, Fullerton, B.A., 1984
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2009 Julie Nester Gallery, Park City, UT
2008 Peter Blake Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
2007 Peter Blake Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
Robert Green Gallery, Mill Valley, CA
2006 Peter Blake Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
Robert Green Gallery, Mill Valley, CA
2005 Peter Blake Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
Robert Green Gallery, Mill Valley, CA
2004 Peter Blake Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
Robert Green Gallery, Mill Valley, CA
2003 Peter Blake Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
Robert Green Gallery, Mill Valley, CA
2002 Peter Blake Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
Robert Green Gallery, Mill Valley, CA
2001 Peter Blake Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
Robert Green Gallery, Mill Valley, CA
2000 Peter Blake Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
Robert Green Gallery, Mill Valley, CA
1999 Peter Blake Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
Robert Green Gallery, Mill Valley, CA
1998 Peter Blake Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
Robert Green Gallery, Mill Valley, CA
The DoubleTree Hotel, Costa Mesa, CA
1997 Robert Green Gallery, Mill Valley, CA
Peter Blake Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
1996 Peter Blake Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
Robert Green Gallery, Mill Valley, CA
Renaissance Cafe, Laguna Beach, California
1995 “More New Work”, Peter Blake Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
“Contemporary Figure”, Robert Green Gallery, Mill Valley, CA
“Collaboration”, Artist-in-Residence, University of California,
Irvine
1994 “New Work”, Peter Blake Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
1993 “Recent Paintings”, Five Feet Restaurant, Laguna Beach, CA
“New Paintings”, Renaissance Cafe, Laguna Beach, CA
1992 “Essential Visions”, Bistango Gallery, Irvine, CA
1991 “Source Material, New Work”, Diane Nelson Gallery, Laguna
Beach, CA
“Recent Paintings”, Renaissance Cafe, Laguna Beach, CA
1990 “Twelve Recent Paintings”, Diane Nelson Gallery, Laguna
Beach, CA
1989 “Recent Paintings”, Diane Nelson Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
“Figure Eight” Diane Nelson Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
1988 S.I.T.E. Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Diane Nelson Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
“More Questions, Fewer Answers”
Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Santa Ana, CA
Gallery of Art, Rancho Santa Fe, CA
1987 Irvine Valley College, Irvine, CA
1986 Diane Sassone Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
California State University, Fullerton West Gallery
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2009 Chris Gwaltney and Robert Mars, Peter Blake, Laguna Beach,
CA
2009 Figurative, Peter Blake/ LA Louvre, Laguna Beach, CA
2007 Figurative Show, Peter Blake Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
2005 Peter Blake Group Show, Peter Blake Gallery, CA
2003 Summer Show, Robert Green Gallery, Mill Valley, CA
1998 “Painters”, Peter Blake Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
1997 "Gallery Artists", Peter Blake Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
1996 “Expressive Figure, Three Painters”, Peter Blake Gallery,
Laguna Beach
1995 “Recent Figure Paintings”, Peter Blake Gallery, Laguna Beach,
CA
1995 “California Figurative”, Robert Green Gallery, Mill Valley, CA
1994 “International Art”, Los Angeles, CA
“California Painters”, Concordia University, Irvine, California
“Best of Laguna”, Art Institute of Southern California, Laguna
Beach, CA
“Irvine Valley College Faculty”, Irvine, California
1993 “Currents”, Time /Space Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
“Faculty Exhibit”, Irvine Valley College, Irvine, CA
1992 “Essential Visions”, Bistango, Irvine, CA
1991 “Faculty Exhibit”, Irvine Valley College, Irvine, CA
Diane Nelson Gallery, Gallery’ Artists Group Show
1990 “Contemporary 4”, Bistango , Irvine, CA
1989 “Figure 8”, Diane Nelson Gallery
“Artists that Teach” Art Institute of Southern California-Long
Beach
City College Exchange, Long Beach, CA
S.I.T.E. Gallery, Culver City. CA
Faculty Exhibit, Art Institute of Southern California, Laguna
Beach, CA
1988 “Furniture as the Artist’s Subject”, Century Gallery, Sylmar, CA
Faculty Exhibit, Irvine Valley College, Irvine, CA
Faculty Exhibit, California State University, Long Beach, CA
1987 Amos Eno Gallery, Soho District, New York, NY
Spectrum Gallery, San Diego, CA
Diane Sassone Gallery, Gallery Artists, CA
Faculty Show, Ettinger Gallery, Art Institute of Southern
California
1986 Orlando Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
MFA Exchange Show, Claremont College, CA
1984 “All California ‘84”, Laguna Beach Art Museum, CA
SELECTED PRIVATE COLLECTIONS
Maria Sharapova Manhattan Beach, CA
Mr. & Mrs. Don Beal Newport Beach, CA
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Neilson Newport Beach, CA
Mrs. Barbara Reiff New York, NY
Mr. Byron Nease New York, NY
Mr. Brian Conway Boston, MA
Dr. Bradford Cornell Pacific Palisades, CA
Mr. Jim Williams Santa Monica, CA
Mr. & Mrs. Whitney Gantz Laguna Beach, CA
Mr. & Mrs. Clark Cornell Laguna Beach, CA
Mrs. Joan Rehnborg Laguna Beach, CA
Mr. Richard Legoza Laguna Beach, CA
Mr. & Mrs. Ed Halvavjian Laguna Beach, CA
Mr. & Mrs. Warren Fix Newport Beach, CA
Ms. Lori Hart Irvine, California
Mr. & Mrs. Peter Ellesmere-Jones Irvine, California
Mr. & Mrs. Leif Hansen Leucadia, CA
Mr. & Mrs. Tom Linden Laguna Beach, CA
Dr. & Mrs. Steven Weiss Laguna Beach, CA
Mr. & Mrs. Snyder Laguna Beach, CA
Mr. & Mrs. Bob McKnight Laguna Beach, CA
Ms. Susan Trager Laguna Beach, CA
Mr. & Mrs. Greg Brakovich Laguna Beach, CA
Mr. & Mrs. Steve Friedmann Laguna Beach, CA
SELECTED PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Rauxa Direct Irvine, CA
Irvine Company Irvine, CA
Finecon Los Angeles, CA
Forms Engineering Company La Palma, CA
McElroy Management Newport Beach, CA
Engle and Murphy Design Long Beach, CA
Quiksilver Huntington Beach, CA
Wallace Computers Chicago, Il
Adobe Systems San Francisco, CA
CHRIS GWALTNEY
Studio, Southern California
Chris Gwaltney
"gate series, ab.57 #3"
oil/alkyd on linen
65 x 57 inches
Chris Gwaltney
"gate series, ab.57 #2"
oil/alkyd on linen
65 x 57 inches
Chris Gwaltney
"Anger’d"
oil/alkyd on canvas
48 x 48 inches
Chris Gwaltney
" Distancia No Problema"
oil/alkyd on canvas
60 x 42 inches
Chris Gwaltney
" Many Small Detours "
oil/alkyd on canvas
42 x 60 inches