“City or Nature; Longing and Need” 2004-2007

Bakersfield Museum of Art

“Bryan Ida : Life of Change: A Retrospective”

Sept 28th, 2023 – Jan 6th, 2024

I will be there this Saturday from 1-3 if you want to meet up

In the last cold wax series based on cities, I came up with a one off painting of rocks, inspired by river rocks that I would see while fly fishing rivers and steams. This painting inspired me to do a series, called “City and Nature, longing and Need” that would consume me for the following 3 years.

This oil paint based series contrasted man made straight lines and right angles with the natural beauty and soft curves of river rocks stacked one o top of the other. A city is a gathering place for culture and commerce filled with buildings, signs and man-made structures that block us from contact with nature creating a void that must be filled. In the rocks we can explore nature as we experience the solitude and natural beauty not associated with a city. There is a calm, a sense of time passing slowly and an ancient wildness.

“Rocks” 72 x 48 wax oil on canvas, 2004

“Fate and the Time We Have Together” 48 x 60 oil on canvas, 2004

“Balance” 66 x 48 oil on canvas 2004

“As Night Settles In” 48 x 40 oil on canvas 2005

“A Preference to be Entitled” 72 x 45 oil on canvas 2005

“Midnight” 48 x 60 oil on canvas 2006

“Looking in the Realm” 70 x 48 oil on canvas 2006

“Lost and Found” 60x 45 oil on canvas 2007