Geoff McFetridge paints the thought before a thought. Or a thought before it becomes a thought. He is sort of in the realm of what does infinity look like? Where does an idea end and begin; and what is an idea anyway? In recent years, Geoff has been open to articulation of his thought-process when painting, but he seems to making grander statements about a universal self while simplifying his painting practice. Before his new solo show opens at Half Gallery in NYC this week, I love the way they describe Geoff: "Geoff McFetridge himself feels closer to an artichoke - pull away the many meaty leaves until you arrive at the heart of things." That is wonderfully spoken.
I have interviewed Geoff a lot over the last 15 years or so, curated him into shows, watch his commercial and studio practice become so original and unique, and I always come back to this concept when I'm writing about him: where does the I begin and where does the collective join. There is a patience in his thoughts that has let something beautiful emerge, something identifiable about the human experience but maybe something we haven't thought of yet. We are all in this together but also on our own. —Evan Pricco
