While working as an Art Director in San Francisco, GL Richardson did some soul searching and made an abrupt left turn to work as a hand on a cattle ranch in New Mexico. Through that experience, he found the confidence to honor his calling to create from the heart. Since relocating to Santa Fe, Richardson’s work has been featured in press and included in group shows in Santa Fe, Kansas City and St. Louis.
Richardson holds a Bachelors in Journalism with an emphasis in Art Direction from the University of Missouri and a Masters of Science and Business as an Art Director from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Statement
“Drawing from Hollywood’s romanticized depiction of the American West while having also worked as a cowboy provides a constant undercurrent of contradiction in my work. I see the West as an open canvas, but instead of attempting to make it mine, I use the rawness, iconography and motifs to speak to broader human truths.
“My pieces exist within stories that are already well on their way. Cracking the door into these timelines, while at their apexes, speaks to the fleeting nature of opportunities. I see this as a way to hold a mirror up for the viewer. Success in my work would be to normalize the changing of our opinions and stances. By exploring these concepts of impermanence and momentary brilliance, I work to bake in the truth of there being no better time than now.
“At times, my past life in advertising shows itself in my work. Frankly, many of the standards I held dear as an Art Director translate to painting, excluding the need for simple digestibility. It is terrifically freeing to make work that’s success or failure is not riding on clarity.” — GL Richardson
