BIOGRAPHY - PAUL GERMAIN

Paul Germain was born in 1946, in Richmond, Virginia.
His mother was an award-winning artist and his grandfather
made his living as an artist through the boom and bust of the 1920's
and the Great Depression . . . no mean feat.

So, it seemed inevitable that art would be a natural career choice for Paul.
Having been granted “permission” to be an artist is perhaps
the greatest gift his parents could have given him.

In the early 1990’s, Paul left a career as a graphic designer,
art director and illustrator, to begin painting full time.
He has exhibited in seven prominent solo exhibitions, participated in over 40
group exhibitions since 1990, and has work included in many respected
private, public and corporate collections throughout the United States.

Currently, Paul Germain sits on the board of the national professional artists'
organization, the National Association of Independent Artists.

www.naia-artists.org

Paul Germain, working on "Enigma No.4"
from his "Enigma Series ".

ARTIST STATEMENT

Since childhood I have been fascinated by history, archeology and the relationship we have
to the natural world. I suppose this curiosity might have manifested itself as a career in
science or something equally rational. However, coming from a family of artists,
(my mother and grandfather were both artists) I felt most comfortable in the arts.
As these interests - history, archeology and art - merged, it seemed quite natural
to use art as a means to explore these areas that continued to intrigue me.
The painted figures in the caves at Lascaux, France provide a testament to the fact that our
genetic biography impels us towards this. I feel as related to those first artists as to my own
mother and grandfather.

In my work I attempt to investigate our connections to the natural world using gestural,
multi-directional brush strokes, mark-making and surface texture. The implication is one of
transparency, depth, physicality and interchange. This view of nature is simultaneously micro
and macro. Are we viewing our universe through a microscope or a telescope?
For me, this look at the natural world is a visceral one - adding an element of emotion,
energy and sensation to intellect.

The titles for two of my current series of paintings, “Chaos Theory” and “Fuzzy Logic,”
refer to the apparent "disorder within order" found throughout the universe. The same
"program" is built into certain computer programs to replicate this randomness.
I find some degree of delight in the fact we are not in total control and must ultimately
yield to forces beyond our governing. My challenge in creating these works is to find
the balance between the chaos and the order.

My paintings owe much to such masters as Ad Reinhardt, Mark Rothko, Agnes Martin
and Warren Rohrer. I admire their ability to say so much with so little.
Their work is, to me, quite prayer-like.

If art can be many things simultaneously, my paintings are equal parts science and music.
Minimalist  composers  such as Philip Glass, Steve Reich and John Adams have been my
constant companions in the studio. The paradox of their limited palette and manic
underlayment of rhythms influence my work to a great degree, as does the contemplative
and deceptively simple nature of compositions by eastern European composers Arvo Part
and Henrik Gorecki.

Ultimately, the affinity I feel for these disciplines is not due to any ability to fully
understand them. It is their inherent magic that intrigues me. For me, it is the very same
magic that I find in the process of painting.