Kojo Griffin is displaying a diverse selection of his artworks from the past eight years. “Swing States of Mind” is the current show at Quality Pictures in Portland.
The nature of Griffin’s earlier work (from the first half of this decade) was mainly narrative. Against stark fields of color anthropomorphic figures were depicted in moments of social conflict. The exaggerated facial features of the masked characters offered a heightened sense of humanity to the dramatic scenarios.
The latest paintings from Kojo Griffin mark both departure and return. For a while he broke away from figurative work in favor of abstract concerns. The characters are back and noticeably changed from new experience. In these recent pieces the living forms appear as apparitions dominated by the environments they inhabit. This focal reversal of form and field arrives as a welcome evolution extending the possibilities for future endeavors.
Kojo Griffin
Swing States of Mind
6 November – 23 December 2008
Quality Pictures
Portland
