John Musgrove

Artist’s Statement
I paint cityscapes to capture the unexpected beauty of the constantly changing urban landscape. I’m drawn to compositions that suddenly materialize when the light is just so and the buildings, cars, bushes, shadows and telephone wires are in fleeting harmony. We often take the ever-present “ordinary” features of the landscape for granted, seeing past them or not seeing them at all.
Human presence is felt behind windows and in parked cars. Overhead wires, quickly becoming anachronistic in a digital world, speak simultaneously to our connectedness and our isolation from one another.
While the elements of the urban landscape are central to my work, light and shadow are the unifying forces. Whether it’s the crispness of a clear blue day, the luminescence of dusk or the diffusion of a foggy morning, it is the quality of light which enlivens the painting. Each evokes its own emotional response and it is that feeling I hope to capture.
I aim to create a contemplative atmosphere in my work and to infuse each painting with a quiet vitality that speaks to the sensation of perception itself—to celebrate the wonder of the singular moment.

Biography
John Musgrove grew up as an Air Force brat in places like Alexandria, Louisiana and Okinawa. He graduated from the University of Florida with a BA in Graphic Design and immediately moved to San Francisco. After working as a designer and illustrator for many years, he returned to painting in 2001.

Experience
6/01-Present Painter – San Francisco, CA After 20+ years working as a graphic designer and illustrator, I
returned to painting. Concentrating on San Francisco cityscapes, I have created a body of work
which reflects my interest in contemporary realism.

Exhibitions
ArtSpan Open Studios, 2003 through 2007
“My City, My Home” Griffin Davis Art, 2006
“The 11th Annual Art of Baseball Exhibition” George Krevsky Gallery, 2008
“In Transit” George Krevsky Gallery, 2008
“The 12th Annual Art of Baseball Exhibition” George Krevsky Gallery, 2009
“32 at 75” Celebrating Sandy Koufax, National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, 2010
“Winter Group Show” Zia Gallery, Winnetka, IL, 2011

Collections
Philip & Yvette Rosedale, Founder, Second Life
Markos Kounalakis, Publisher,Washington Monthly
Heather Kitchen, Managing Director, Dallas Theater Center
Oscar and Carmen Ribas, Principality of Andorra
Andy Kelly, General Manager, Rebelvox
Ovation Research, Corporate Collection
TomKat Foundation, Corporate Collection

Education
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
BA, Art/Graphic Design