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In May of 1995, Charles Ford
met a Swedish theater troupe, Teater Albatross
while attending an event at the Theater Project in Baltimore,
Maryland – Charles’ hometown.
This chance meeting would quickly
blossom into a friendship of mutual respect for the creative talents
of each other, which then led Charles to accept an invitation
to travel to Sweden. That was July of 1995, and ever since, he
has journeyed to Sweden each year.
His passion for the beauty of
the country and the creative energy of the many friends he met
while in Sweden, inspired him to create an impressive collection
of paintings called the, Swedish Collection
– a body of work known for its bold use of lines, highlighting
a technique referred to as the Innocent Eye. Based on a 19th century aesthetic worldview, proposed
by art critic John Ruskin, it demands that all art be created
from a child’s perspective.
As he studies the myriad array
of lines and swirls, Charles looks for patterns – an image,
which he then chips away at with blocks of color and deft, impasto
brushstokes, like a sculptor working with marble. What emerges,
are exquisite reclining female nudes, set within gorgeous landscapes
and boudoirs of shimmering color, and dramatic curves.
The many accolades and critical
reviews Charles has received from solo exhibitions in Stockholm,
Marstrand, Helsingborg and Goteborg are unprecedented for a foreign
painter in his non-native land.
Next up is his “Innocent
Eye” exhibit
hosted by Galleri Cosmopolitan, which incredibly, will mark his
13th solo show in Sweden.
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