Connecting to his viewers is key to George Charriez. He chooses figures that are easily relatable in today’s society. Body language also plays into the concept of each piece. Strong, confident stances are prevalent. He has explored different media and this month, shares his animal portraits created with pyrography. From his Blue Ridge, GA gallery, 4 Elements Art, George shares his process.
The art of burning designs into wood has been around for a long time, typically using a heated metal tip. You are one of the first artists to use an open-flame blowtorch for this purpose. Before you began sharing your work on social media, this innovative technique was virtually unheard of. How did you develop your unique pyrography technique?
About 16 years ago, I was taking a break from painting one day and watched a documentary on America in the 1800s. The documentary featured captivating photos from the Civil War, the Underground Railroad, and the Trail of Tears. These images were intriguing, not only for the stories they told but also for the sepia-toned, 'burnt' look of the photo paper. I discovered this effect was due to the natural oils on people's fingers oxidizing with the ink and paper over time. This gave the photos a sense of history, as if the paper itself was telling a story of all the hands that had touched it over 160 years. Inspired by this, I wanted to recreate that look. While I could have used oil paint, I aimed for a more authentic, elemental aesthetic and decided to experiment with creating artwork using an open flame blowtorch.
Why did you choose Blue Ridge as your gallery home?
I am originally from Newburgh, New York, but my family moved to Helen when I was in middle school. So, I am very familiar with the beautiful North Georgia mountains. After graduating high school, I attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, and spent time there studying and working as a professional artist. Years later, I relocated back to Georgia, where my wife Lauren and I made our home in Sandy Springs. We loved living there, but both of us longed to be more immersed in nature. Blue Ridge seemed like a natural fit for us with its breathtaking, inspiring beauty, convenient location, and wide variety of wonderful food and shopping.
George has been experimenting and creating art since he was a child. He attended SCAD and Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY where he studied and experimented with multiple modalities which he still employs in his painting today. He worked as an illustrator and industrial designer in NY. Being involved in major campaigns and developing a great degree of proficiency in precise detailed techniques have positively informed and impacted his artistic career.
Through his intricate paintings, Charriez illustrates modern perceptions of the human condition, and he paints to inspire dialogue with his artistic commentary.
His paintings continue to be exhibited in multiple art fairs both nationally and internationally, and he has gained great attention and success over the past decades. Charriez paints every day and continues to create new imagery and explore deep ideas in his studio in Atlanta.