I ask the viewer to ponder such issues as the presence of absurdity in belief and ritual. It is my intention to elicit contemplation about the many important, yet enigmatic issues associated with every-day life by creating images with unusual metaphoric twists played against familiar, even comfortable backgrounds. Though there is also an element of humor in the work, it is the humor of nervous laughter, intriguing yet slightly discomforting.

 

 

The video below, "Animator Gerald Guthrie: Combining the Old and the New" (2008), was produced by Tim Hartin and Alison Davis Wood for the premier episode of "Illinois Innovators," a series which profiles different examples of innovation at the University of Illinois.

 

 

I was also interviewed by Pat Sammann on June 16th,2011 for the half-hour UPTV show “Art Now!” sponsored by the Urbana Public Arts Commission. 
Click here for the link.

 

 

 

 

Digital Still Images...

The digital images represent a series of limited edition fine art prints. All the images were created with 3D modeling and animation programs (3DS Max, trueSpace). Digital three dimensional modeling is unlike traditional painting or drawing in that the computer creates a "virtual space" in which geometric objects may be veiwed from any angle. The artist no longer needs to redraw perspective in order to edit compositional views. Two dimensional images, such as photographs of texture, may then be placed over the surfaces of the "wireframe" models to imply solidity. Light sources can be placed any where in the "space" and the software will determine shadows and highlights.

I created 34 of these images between the years 1996 and 2005.

 

Digital Animations...

The "three dimensional" objects and scenes which I have created can also be animated by the software. Either object or "camera" positions can be set, called keyframes, then the movement between these variations can be figured by the computer. These short movies consist of 4000 to 15,000 frames and may take 0ver one hundred hours for a "fast" computer to render. Besides the complexity of movement, I enjoy the added challenge of editing and mixing sound to enhance an immersive experience.

I began creating animations in 2002 and continue to do so. My animations have screened in the United States, Denmark, Canada, United Kingdom, Austria, Portugal, Brazil, Russia, Australia, Germany, France, Italy, Mexico, Serbia, Spain, Palestine, and Nigeria.

 

Drawings ...

The drawings are done with a combination of color pencil and acrylic paint on cold press rag paper. I first mask out specific areas with frisket, then airbrush colored areas of "ground" and finally do all the Prismacolor pencil work over the top of the acrylic paint. I sharpen five or six pencils at the same time and use each until it is too rounded, then repeat the process. I will often use photographs, many times from old Popular Science magazines, as references for the figures. Though I enjoy the results, I have been more interested in using digital means to create images in recent years.

I created 47 of these drawings between the years 1982 and 1999.

 

Miniature Environments...

Each fifteen inch cube in this series contains a realistically miniaturized room interior. Except for title, the pieces are all identical on the outside, giving no clue to the scenes contained within. Lights and motors activated by the viewer from a switch at the top animate unusual actions in commonplace interior settings created at a scale of about one inch to one foot. The single peephole allows composition and organization as in two dimensional work, but three dimensions heighten the realism and drama. This format also purposely isolates the viewer from interaction with others and limits external distraction. Since each piece is self contained with controlled lighting situations, photographic reproduction can only serve as a guide in portraying the kinetic effect.

I created 26 of these objects between the years 1977 and 2001.