Cartographer's Dream

Creator

Gregg Chadwick

Preview

Photographer

George Steffes

Description

Gregg Chadwick's Cartographer's Dream (1999) is an oil on linen painting, stretched on adjustable tension mounted frame.

"Gregg Chadwick paints narrative scenes caught somewhere between the momentary present and the fleeting past. His figures, generally featureless and dressed in everyday clothes, pass effortlessly through atmospheric spaces as much real as imagined. Aesthetically, Chadwick is drawn to such elusive moments, particularly when a crowd of people is imbued with a quiet luster from dramatic rays of light. In these transitory moments, a fragile beauty interrupts the flow of ordinary time and brings a glimpse of grace to the setting, creating an image which is as much a memory of the scene as the actual scene itself.

Chadwick's figurative but abstract style enhances the play between concrete experience and the memory of it. Like voyeurs, we often observe his figures from an elevated vantage point as they move through undefined spaces characterized by blurred edges and loss of detail. The result is a palpable sense of mystery and the desire to know more.

The Cartographer's Dream is an imaginary, overhead view of the Winona State University Library entrance. After twice visiting the site, Chadwick developed his composition to suggest the library's elegant terrazzo floor whose subject is the Mississippi River. The aerial view captures a stream of library patrons moving across the richly hued floor. Filtered light infuses the ordinary scene with an extraordinary quality. Like a map, the Cartographer's Dream synthesizes the elements of water, light, humanity and knowledge, connecting the library not only to its natural environment, but also to society as a whole.

Gregg Chadwick has lived in San Francisco since 1989. His paintings have been exhibited both nationally and internationally and can be found in numerous private and corporate collections.

The commission of the Cartographer's Dream was made possible through Minnesota Percent for Art in Public Places, a state program sponsored by the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Department of Administration, with support from Winona State University." - Caption created for the Percent for Art display

The photograph of Cartographer's Dream was captured, via digital camera, by student George Steffes for Greg Neidhart's Spring 2025 Arts Administration course.

Creation Date

8-30-1999

Item Type

Image

Department

Library

Publisher

Winona State University

Location

Winona, Minnesota, Darrell W. Krueger Library-Winona State University

Date Digital

2025-04-09

Materials

Oil on linen

Unique Identifier

WSUPHOPFA-1999-CartographersDream-Chadwick