1 A Sea So Great, A Boat So Small, 2021
2 Looking for America, 2019
Looking at a George Halvorson painting, you may recall the work of Edward Hopper, Alex Katz or David Hockney. Perhaps it’s the flatness of the dimensions, or the way that realism butts up with the look of advertising design with its clean lines, large swaths of untextured color, and dizzying pattern. Halvorson’s work also recalls those great figurative artists in its use of a singular light source, with a careful attention to shadow in each work. Halvorson’s paintings are tightly composed, with as much attention given to the background as the figure. They have clean lines and simple shapes, and burst with popping energy. You walk into a story with each piece, one that as a viewer, you help create yourself. Even when the paintings feature elaborate elements, there’s always a precision to how the story fits together.
Written by Sheila Regan Sheila Regan is a Minneapolis-based journalist and arts writer.
3 The Quest, 2021
4 In G, 2021
5 The 1 ..47 PM Art Show, 2021
6 Greetings, 2021
7 Different Point of View, 2019
8 Slowly Clearing, 2021
9 Third Floor, 2019
10 Blue Shoes, 2018
11 Tootsies, 2017
12 In That Moment It Became Clear, 2021
13 The Sanctuary, 2021
14 Two by the Sea, 2021
15 Quite a Pear, 2020
16 Bobber, 2021
17 Flamingos and Flowers, 2020
18 In Search of Squirrels, 2021
19 Sharing Seashells by the Seashore, 2021
20 And No Running, 2021
21 Dance Dance Sunday, 2019
22 A Dog’s Life, 2019
Exhibition List 1 A Sea So Great, A Boat So Small, 2021
Acrylic on Canvas, 48 x 48 inches
2 Looking for America, 2019
Acrylic on Canvas, 48 x 48 inches
3 The Quest, 2021
Acrylic on Canvas, 48 x 48 inches
4 In G, 2021
Acrylic on Canvas, 48 x 48 inches
5 The 1 ..47 PM Art Show, 2021
Acrylic on Canvas, 48 x 48 inches
6 Greetings, 2021
Acrylic on Canvas, 48 x 48 inches
7 Different Point of View, 2019
Acrylic on Canvas, 48 x 48 inches
8 Slowly Clearing, 2021
Acrylic on Canvas, 48 x 48 inches
9 Third Floor, 2019
Acrylic on Canvas, 48 x 48 inches
10 Blue Shoes, 2018
Acrylic on Canvas, 48 x 48 inches
11 Tootsies, 2017
Acrylic on Canvas, 42 x 60 inches
12 In That Moment It Became Clear, 2021
Acrylic on Canvas, 48 x 60 inches
13 The Sanctuary, 2021
Acrylic on Canvas, 48 x 48 inches
14 Two by the Sea, 2021
Acrylic on Canvas, 48 x 48 inches
15 Quite a Pear, 2020
Acrylic on Canvas, 60 x 48 inches
16 Bobber, 2021
Acrylic on Canvas, 60 x 48 inches
17 Flamingos and Flowers, 2020
Acrylic on Canvas, 48 x 48 inches
18 In Search of Squirrels, 2021
Acrylic on Canvas, 48 x 48 inches
19 Sharing Seashells by the Seashore, 2021
Acrylic on Canvas, 48 x 48 inches
20 And No Running, 2021
Acrylic on Canvas, 48 x 48 inches
21 Dance Dance Sunday, 2019
Acrylic on Canvas, 48 x 48 inches
22 A Dog’s Life, 2019
Acrylic on Canvas, 48 x 48 inches
George Halvorson b. 1952, Minneapolis, Minnesota Lives and works in Wayzata, Minnesota George Halvorson is a Minneapolis painter whose work reveals the influence of multiple visual art forms, from sculpture and drawing, to graphic design and architecture. He is a classically trained artist, having studied at the University of Minnesota, the California College of the Arts, and the Minneapolis College of Art and Design where he received his BFA. He became the Creative Director of award-winning advertising and marketing for one of the largest ad agencies in the country. George’s representational paintings are described as whimsical, allegorical, and human, expressed in a boldly colored graphic textural style. Often inspired by a faint memory, a song, an object, a design, or a snapshot in time as he imagines it, his paintings introduce a story, inviting the viewer’s interpretation to complete. georgehalvorsonart.com
All Images are Courtesy of George Halvorson - georgehalvorsonart.com © 2021 Douglas Flanders and Associates - flandersart.com Design Syril McNally - syrilmcnally.com Printing Smartpress, Chanhassen, Minnesota - smartpress.com