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Gail Priday: Up Close and Underfoot

Dec. 2, 2022 - Feb. 4, 2023

About the Artist

Gail Priday is an artist living in Fairbanks, Alaska who finds inspiration from the natural world, specifically the boreal forest.

Image credit: Amazements (detail), Acrylic on canvas, 23 x 30 inches

Priday is one of six artists selected for the Alaska State Museum 2020-2023 Solo Artist Exhibition Series. The other artists are: Alison Bremner Naxshageit, Ben Huff, Sonya Kelliher-Combs, Jannah Sexton-Atkins, and Mitch Watley.

Gallery

Select an image to view larger.

  1. room that houses the exhibit with paintings on walls and artist’s statement and exhibit title Up Close and Underfoot at the entrance
  2. view of exhibit showing multiple paintings
  3. two walls display 12 small landscape paintings, each depicting a different month of the year in the boreal forest
  4. Six small landscape paintings depict different months of the year in the boreal forest, from snowy forest scenes to a greener forest floor.
  5. Six small landscape paintings depict different months of the year in the boreal forest.
  6. two walls showcase a large painting of a fallen tree, four small paintings of the seasons, two paintings of a fallen leaf, and a painting of a close-up view of dogwood flowers.
  7. a large painting of a fallen tree and four small paintings of the seasons
  8. two paintings of a fallen leaf and a painting of a close-up view of dogwood flowers
  9. view of the exhibit showing multiple paintings
  10. a large painting of a fallen tree and 4 small paintings of the seasons
  11. a painting of a drooping fireweed stem with red and yellow leaves and a painting of a forest with fall colors.
  12. Five paintings: a drooping fireweed stem with red and yellow leaves; a forest with fall colors; a forest covered in snow, a close-up of a tree covered in lichen; a close-up of three birch trees in winter
  13. three paintings: a forest covered in snow; a close-up of a tree covered in lichen; a close-up of three birch trees in winter.
  14. Four paintings: a winter forest scene with a frozen pond; a fallen tree covered in leaves; a close-up view of violet fairy slipper orchids in a forest; forest understory covered in green grass
  15. three paintings on adjacent walls: a close-up view of violet fairy slipper orchids in a forest; forest understory covered in green grass; a close-up of a tree covered in bear bread/conk.
  16. left: a close-up of a tree covered in bear bread/conk, right: a view of the gallery

Artist's Statement

I came to Alaska two decades ago and was immediately struck by the summer vegetation. I knew I would love the mountains and expansive sky, but I did not expect to be so captivated by the underbrush, the fungus, and every tree I met. That wonderment has not left me, and the small details of the northern forest are most frequently the subjects of my work. My paintings of the Alaskan landscape acknowledge the quiet, unpretentious beauty of a land revered for its grandeur. Rather than seeking out awe-inspiring vistas and dramatic scenery, I choose to represent the ever-changing treasures up close and underfoot. The blooming and decaying forest floor, lichen, and berries consistently capture my attention. These easily overlooked features of the landscape suggest an extraordinary and active world that exists quietly beside my own.

I am interested in how the landscape changes over time and with the seasons. I get a jolt of inspiration anytime I go outside and discover that what I saw the day before is somehow different. Each of these paintings was inspired by walks in the woods near my home in Interior Alaska. The trails are in constant flux due to shifting seasons, visitors, time of day, and myriad other factors, yet they are reassuringly familiar. The trees are old friends. I know all the shortcuts and walk fearlessly in the dark. The toddlers I once carried are teenagers now, and the dog I walk with is not the one I discovered these trails with years ago. I know the snow will melt, and summer will move in, yet it seems unbelievable to me year after year.

Up Close and Underfoot is a body of work that brings attention to the miraculous details and variability of this great land. These paintings express my curiosity and love for the everyday beauty of the place I call home. They are reflections on the tenacity of an Alaskan summer, autumn’s brilliant demise, the seemingly impossible unraveling of winter, and the amazements of spring. My work emphasizes the sights, seasons, and changes we know to expect here in the North.

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