T.J. Griffin
Originally from the small town of Union City Oklahoma, T.J. Griffin moved to the Dallas area in 2004.
His work has been shown since 2007. In 2008 he received the DeGolyer Awards to Artists grant from the Dallas Museum of Art.
T.J. graduated with his Bachelor in Art and Performance from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2008 and continued on to receive his MFA in 2010. T.J. had his first solo show in 2010 at the University of Texas at Dallas. While working on his PhD in Aesthetic Studies at The University of Texas Dallas, he has begun doing research on identity, superheroes, and masks.
He has been accepted into numerous juried shows, including The Rising Eyes of Texas in Rockport, Texas, where he received the second place award. In 2011, his work was accepted into the juried art expo at 500x gallery in Dallas, Texas and the annual No Dead Artists exhibit, a national juried show at Jonathan Ferrara Gallery in New Orleans, LA. TJ Griffin presented Remove Your Mask, his first solo show in Dallas at Ro2 Art in April, 2011.
Artist Statement: Animal Instinct
Much like animal instincts, my current art work steams from an instinctual expressive behavior.
My need to create has existed for as long as I can remember. As I have grown, experimented and evolved; my art practice has begun to develop into something more instinctual.
Purging the need to create for any other purpose than to express my psychological state of mind has created a calmness in my process.
Some work is meditative, others are expressive depictions of my mental state frozen in a symbolic form.
Working with animals, creatures, and patterns in a cartoon influenced style allows the more complex feelings a simplistic whimsical outlet. I consciously play with these feelings in a somewhat ridiculous way. This manner of creation allows me to easily work through the mental aspects of what I am experiencing through out my life.
Ancient cultures have had a great influence on the style of my recent work. The symbolic imagery of masks and the figurative depictions of hybrid creatures in these cultures seem very familiar and natural to my creative process. Combining these early styles with contemporary concepts of expressive automatic drawing and painting allows me to fully express what my instincts desire.
EDUCATION
Present PhD, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX
2010 MFA, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX
2008 BFA, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2014 Ro2 Art, Solo exhibit, Animal Instinct, Dallas TX, April 25th
2012 Ro2 Art Downtown Projects, Solo exhibit, Remove Your Mask, Dallas, TX
2010 University of Texas at Dallas Gallery, Solo exhibit, Distorted Memory, Richardson, TX
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2013 Ro2 Art, Paint, Dallas TX
Ro2 Art, Chaos, Dallas TX
2012 Curly Tale Fine Art, Happy Birthday Mr. President, Chicago, IL
500X, 2012 500XPO Juried art show, Dallas, TX
Ro2 Art, Group show, Dallas, TX
2011 Jonathan Ferrara Gallery, No Dead Artist Juried show, New Orleans, LA
Ro2 Art, September group show, Dallas, TX
14+1 Collective, Hello, Dallas, TX
500X, 2011 500X Juried Art Show, Dallas, TX
Rockport Center for the Arts, Rising Eyes of Texas, Rockport, TX
Creato-Finito, Las Angeles, CA
2010 Dallas Contemporary, Wish Auction, Dallas, TX
South Side on Lamar, the Art of Skateboarding, Dallas, TX
Creato-Finito, Las Angeles, CA
2009 South Side on Lamar, the Art of Skateboarding, Dallas, TX
Dallas Contemporary, Wish Auction, Dallas, TX
Nomad Arts, Guerilla Art Campaign, Dallas, TX
University of Texas at Dallas Gallery, Say Anything, Richardson, TX
2008 University of Texas at Dallas Gallery, Richardson, TX
2007 Plano Courtyard Theater, Fotophile: Where’s your ID? , Plano, TX
AWARDS
2011 Second place, Rising Eyes of Texas, Rockport, TX
2009 Studio, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX
2008 DeGolyer Award, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX
His work has been shown since 2007. In 2008 he received the DeGolyer Awards to Artists grant from the Dallas Museum of Art.
T.J. graduated with his Bachelor in Art and Performance from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2008 and continued on to receive his MFA in 2010. T.J. had his first solo show in 2010 at the University of Texas at Dallas. While working on his PhD in Aesthetic Studies at The University of Texas Dallas, he has begun doing research on identity, superheroes, and masks.
He has been accepted into numerous juried shows, including The Rising Eyes of Texas in Rockport, Texas, where he received the second place award. In 2011, his work was accepted into the juried art expo at 500x gallery in Dallas, Texas and the annual No Dead Artists exhibit, a national juried show at Jonathan Ferrara Gallery in New Orleans, LA. TJ Griffin presented Remove Your Mask, his first solo show in Dallas at Ro2 Art in April, 2011.
Artist Statement: Animal Instinct
Much like animal instincts, my current art work steams from an instinctual expressive behavior.
My need to create has existed for as long as I can remember. As I have grown, experimented and evolved; my art practice has begun to develop into something more instinctual.
Purging the need to create for any other purpose than to express my psychological state of mind has created a calmness in my process.
Some work is meditative, others are expressive depictions of my mental state frozen in a symbolic form.
Working with animals, creatures, and patterns in a cartoon influenced style allows the more complex feelings a simplistic whimsical outlet. I consciously play with these feelings in a somewhat ridiculous way. This manner of creation allows me to easily work through the mental aspects of what I am experiencing through out my life.
Ancient cultures have had a great influence on the style of my recent work. The symbolic imagery of masks and the figurative depictions of hybrid creatures in these cultures seem very familiar and natural to my creative process. Combining these early styles with contemporary concepts of expressive automatic drawing and painting allows me to fully express what my instincts desire.
EDUCATION
Present PhD, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX
2010 MFA, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX
2008 BFA, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2014 Ro2 Art, Solo exhibit, Animal Instinct, Dallas TX, April 25th
2012 Ro2 Art Downtown Projects, Solo exhibit, Remove Your Mask, Dallas, TX
2010 University of Texas at Dallas Gallery, Solo exhibit, Distorted Memory, Richardson, TX
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2013 Ro2 Art, Paint, Dallas TX
Ro2 Art, Chaos, Dallas TX
2012 Curly Tale Fine Art, Happy Birthday Mr. President, Chicago, IL
500X, 2012 500XPO Juried art show, Dallas, TX
Ro2 Art, Group show, Dallas, TX
2011 Jonathan Ferrara Gallery, No Dead Artist Juried show, New Orleans, LA
Ro2 Art, September group show, Dallas, TX
14+1 Collective, Hello, Dallas, TX
500X, 2011 500X Juried Art Show, Dallas, TX
Rockport Center for the Arts, Rising Eyes of Texas, Rockport, TX
Creato-Finito, Las Angeles, CA
2010 Dallas Contemporary, Wish Auction, Dallas, TX
South Side on Lamar, the Art of Skateboarding, Dallas, TX
Creato-Finito, Las Angeles, CA
2009 South Side on Lamar, the Art of Skateboarding, Dallas, TX
Dallas Contemporary, Wish Auction, Dallas, TX
Nomad Arts, Guerilla Art Campaign, Dallas, TX
University of Texas at Dallas Gallery, Say Anything, Richardson, TX
2008 University of Texas at Dallas Gallery, Richardson, TX
2007 Plano Courtyard Theater, Fotophile: Where’s your ID? , Plano, TX
AWARDS
2011 Second place, Rising Eyes of Texas, Rockport, TX
2009 Studio, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX
2008 DeGolyer Award, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, TX