Gary Goodman paints images and writes with a resounding directness – the figure at the forefront, unbothered by artistic self-consciousness, ego and politeness. Simply saying “hello” to the world as it passes him by.
This produces work of intense human understanding that belongs to a lineage of artists that include Jean Dubuffet, Vincent van Gogh, EL Kirchner and Edvard Munch – and echoes the profound spiritual beauty and sensitivity of Knut Hamsun, Ingmar Bergman and Arvo Pärt.
Norbert Lynton wrote in a review of Gary Goodman’s paintings that “People are disconcerted by the way Gary Goodman paints. They are drawn to the colour and the activity of the brush, in short to his lively painting, and then they are perplexed, just as I was when I first saw his work.”
Gary Goodman has exhibited extensively: In France, USA, New Zealand, Germany, Italy and throughout the UK (National Portrait Gallery, Art First, Mall Galleries, Charlston Farmhouse and the Royal College of Art for the Hunting Prize).
During 2010 he exhibited at the Menier Gallery, London; Emily Ball at Sea White and “Got to be Somewhere” Group Show in Brighton.
Gary Goodman has often exhibited and performed with Billy Childish, who wrote a poem about Gary Goodman.
Whilst Gary’s main area of work is painting and drawing, he also makes etchings, 3-d constructions and artists books. In addition he is a poet, winning several prizes at spoken word performances in the UK, Norway and the USA; has also been invited to participate in International Symposia in Estonia, Germany and France; and has undertaken many artist’s residencies and workshops, and won several awards to travel and create new work.
Gary Goodman is a featured artist in both “Painting the Figure: a New Approach Printmaking” by Emily Ball (2009) and “Traditional and Contemporary Techniques” by Ann d’Arcy Hughes (2008), and has been published in various poetry anthologies inc. Java Monkey Poetry Anthology (Kodac Harrison USA 2009) and Frogmore Press 2010.
For the past 20 years Gary has taught on a variety of courses at various universities and colleges and continues to run workshops in printmaking, drawing and painting.
