Meet Still Life Painter Christopher Terry - Inside Art With Michael Rose
It is said that people always return to Rhode Island. For painter Christopher T. Terry, it took some time, but he did eventually find his way back. He graduated from Rhode Island College but his career took him to places like California, Utah, and even Germany. Although he was able to summer here annually, it was not until 2020 that he was able to return permanently. Terry is now making beautiful and thoughtful still life paintings in Jamestown and finding community in the region he loves.
chris terry in his rhode island studio
Terry is an artist crafting quiet images that focus primarily on interiors and still life. Often, these take the form of a table laid out with simple and utilitarian objects like a teapot or clock. He relishes in the subtleties of color, in the precision of composition, in creating structured views into imagined spaces.
Asked what he hopes viewers experience when looking at his subdued paintings, Terry is open-minded. He answers, “As a visual artist, I’m comfortable with the viewer experiencing a diverse range of meaning in my work, but I do strive to build a rhythm within my paintings that recalls the quality of memory or dreaming. Most viewers tell me they see my work as meditative. This calm, quiet sense is certainly a goal I work toward, but paradoxically, I also build drama into the work. I’d like to have the viewer experience the work as peaceful, but also taut with expectation, as though something climactic may be about to happen.”
After earning his BFA at RIC, Terry completed an MFA at the University of Wisconsin and enjoyed a long career in academia. He served as Professor at Utah State University from 1988-2020 and spent the last decade of his career as an Associate Dean. He also served multiple terms as a Guest Professor at the University of Essen in Germany. The recipient of two Fulbright Awards and a grant from the German Academic Exchange Service, he has also received a WESTAF/NEA Regional Fellowship in Painting, and a Visual Artist Fellowship from the Utah Arts Council. Additionally, he was an invited Visiting Artist at the prestigious American Academy in Rome and his work was selected for the Art in Embassies program at the US Department of State.
Terry has exhibited in over a dozen US states as well as abroad. Locally, recent shows have featured the artist at Jamestown Arts Center, the Block Island Airport Gallery, and Salve Regina’s McKillop Gallery. Through June 28, paintings by Terry can be seen in Bristol Art Museum’s exhibition, Bull in the China Shop. The show features a range of artists and primarily centers ceramists. Terry’s two-dimensional paintings are an effective counterpoint to works presented in the round.
Asked about being featured in the show, Terry draws connections. He explains, “Like my own paintings, ceramic artists often explore the border between ritual and the patterns of everyday life through the vessel form. While my work is not exclusively about ceramic cups and bowls, it would be fair to say that most of my paintings deal in some way with containers in the very broadest sense. Similarly, a lot of ceramic art in the vessel tradition is essentially non-functional, but draws on the concept of the vessel as a container. This exhibition, with its focus on ceramic art and especially on pottery, contextualizes my work in a way that is unique in my career and I’m pleased to be a part of it.”
Although Terry spent much of his career outside of Rhode Island, he is excited to be making this chapter of his life in the state. On August 9, he will participate in Jamestown Open Studios.
Reflecting on what it means for him to be an artist here, he says, “When I left Rhode Island for graduate school, a shockingly long time ago, my intention was to return and find a way to live on the RI coast. Instead, I followed a string of opportunities that led me ever further away from my ideal. I don’t regret any of those experiences, and I managed to spend at least part of every summer back in Rhode Island, but it was frustrating to need to constantly postpone my return. After wrapping up my career in academia, I was finally free to live where I want, and there was never any hesitation about my choice. I’m glad to be back on the beautiful Rhode Island coast and very pleased to be reintegrating with the art community here.”
It is wonderful to welcome an artist of Terry’s significant talents back to the Ocean State and to see him engage in the artistic community here. His paintings are stunning.
all available work by each chris terry can be viewed on our website under their individual tabs including sizing + pricing. hidell brooks gallery is by appointment. please call the gallery if you have any further questions.