Green Thumb

Frank Moore creates paintings that examine humanity's relationship to the natural world. For nearly two decades, he has explored the connections between human health and the environment. This exploration has led Moore to tackle issues of race, gender, sexuality, AIDS and most recently, genetic sciences and the role of fossil fuels in America. His early artistic influences were as diverse as Willem deKooning, Paul Cadmus and the lesser-known Italian Surrealist Alberto Savinio. His current inspirations are from nature and contemporary information sources including newspapers, magazines and scientific reports which Moore collects into an archive. A quick glance at his archive might reveal a shiny square of chartreuse paper, an image of a logjam, a story on windmills, a magnified photograph showing the symbiotic relationship between aphids and ants or a scientific report on genetic engineering. Eventually, much of this material makes its way into his work, either as an idea or a rendered image. In more complex paintings, a number of these images may be combined.
Creating a space where an individual can contemplate social, biological and political change is Moore's primary goal. His space exists conceptually between art and the natural world -- nature, culture, science and sexuality. Robert Rauschenberg said, "Painting relates to both life and art. Neither can be made. (I try to act in that gap between the two.)"[1] For Moore, the challenge is not only to act in the gap between art and life but to inject it with meaning. After receiving research support from the research and advocacy group "Great Lakes United," Moore was surprised years later to receive a request from the organization to use an image of Niagara, 1994, for the cover of its annual report. With this Ring..., 2000, appeared on the cover of a bound Academy of Sciences report on the role of women in science. These requests and many like them indicate an interest for strong artistic renderings of important...