ARTIST'S STATEMENT

"I just follow my nose"

Like most schizophrenics, criminals or artists, I'm out of step. First century reverence makes more sense to me than twentieth century sophistication. I see imagination as a better source of art than experience. Originality seems a natural byproduct of an artist's progress toward his potential, rather than a goal.

Since my goal is art locked into the real universe, I believe that conforming to universal creative principles offers a better chance for success than ignoring or opposing them. I'm not interested in "self-expression" or "personal truth" but in truth itself, particularly in its aesthetic and spiritual dimensions. In fact I define art as the creative expression of truth.

Because I use the trial and error method - mostly error - I experience painting as a series of emergencies building to a central crisis; will it be a work of art or trash ? Even a good result is a mixed blessing because it can get you half believing that perfection is just around the corner. Not true of course; one of the beauties of perfection is that the closer you come to it, the farther away it gets.

Certain distinctions often elude me as well; the difference between freedom and license, success and fulfillment, and especially between willfulness and tenacity. Years ago I approached all this with common sense, willpower and reason. These days I prefer something more practical, like prayer.

WHAT THE CRITICS SAY

"MCREYNOLDS [IS] ASTOUNDING -- HIS WORK ABOUNDS IN UNIQUE, OBLIQUE INVENTIONS ..." Walter Hopps, Curator of 20th Century Art, National Collection of Fine Arts, Smithsonian

"MCREYNOLDS IS A VETERAN TRAVELER THROUGH INNER SPACE [WHOSE] VISIONARY ART IS DEFINED BY SPIRITUAL QUALITIES AND THE ARTIST'S DAZZLING TECHNICAL SKILL." Dorothy Burkhart, San Jose Mercury_News

"...A MASTER DRAUGHTSMAN" Marilyn Hagberg, San Diego Magazine

"CLIFF McREYNOLDS IS ARGUABLY THE BEST OF THE CALIFORNIA 'MAGIC REALISTS'." David Tannous, Washington Star "MCREYNOLDS' STYLE IS IMPECCABLE." Fran Preisman, Art Week

"...SHEER VISUAL VIRTUOSITY... " James Auer, Milwaukee Journal

"FRAGMENTS OF HISTORY IN CLIFF McREYNOLDS' PAINTINGS COME TOGETHER IN A DISPARATE, OFTEN INCONGRUOUS AND WITTY PATCHWORK..." Stephen Prokopoff, Director, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago

"MCREYNOLDS [IS] A VISIONARY LYRICIST OF IMMENSE POWER, IMAGINATION AND INVENTIVENESS ... HE MAY BE SAN DIEGO'S OWN WILLIAM BLAKE." Richard Reilly, San Diego Union

"THE PAINTINGS THAT McREYNOLDS HAS CREATED IN THE LAST DECADE ARE BEAUTIFUL, POWERFUL AND SOPHISTICATED. THEY ARE WORKS OF GREAT INTUITION AND SUBTLETY. IN VIEWING THEIR SHARP, STRIKING CONTRAST TO HIS EARLIER WORK, WE ARE WITNESS TO A TRANSFORMATION SO COMPLETE THAT IT MUST NECESSARILY HAVE FEW PARALLELS IN THE WORLD OF ART." Thomas Burke, Publisher, Pomegranate Press

SELECTED EXHIBITS

• "Animals are Us,," Intersection Gallery, San Diego, CA (one person show), 1996
• "'Social Engagements," Municipal Art Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, 1995
• "Veiled Images," Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX and Traveling, 1994
• SDTYAE, Yokohama, Japan and Traveling, 1992-93
• Faith Nightingale Gallery, San Diego, CA, 1992
• Calhoun Gallery, San Diego, CA (three person show), 1991
• "Works on Paper," Messiah College,. Grantham, PA and Traveling, 1991-93
• CIVA Exhibit, Biola University, La Mirada, CA, 1989
• "Fra Elskov Til Gud," Sandvika Administration of Culture, Oslo, Norway, 1988
• Venice Arts Festival, Venice, CA, 1988 Sushi Gallery, San Diego, CA 1988
• Biola University, La Mirada, CA (one person show), 1988
• Downey Museum of Art, Downey, CA (four person show) 1987
• Southwestern College Invitational, Chula Vista, CA 1987
• Feigen Gallery, Chicago, IL (one person show), 1986
• Acevedo Gallery, San Diego, CA (three person show),
• 1985 San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 1985
• San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CA (one person show), 1983
• Illuminarium, Mill Valley, CA (three person show), 1982
• Gallery Rebecca Cooper, New York, MY (one person show), 1981
• "Visionary Art," Walnut Creek Civic Arts Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA, 1981
• "Focus: Cliff McReynolds," San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, CA (one person show), 1980
• "Fourth Triennial-India," New Delhi, India, 1978; Tokyo, Japan, 1979, Oakland Museum of Art, Oakland, CA, 1979
• "Drawings of the Seventies," Chicago, IL, 1977
• "California Painting and Sculpture-The Modern Era," San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA, 1976
• "Mindscapes: Five California Artists,lt Oshkosh Museum, Oshkosh Museum, 1976
• "Alternative Realities," Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, Il (five person show), 1976
• "Cliff McReynolds: Revelation Art," Gallery Rebecca Cooper, Washington, D.C. (one person show), 1976-77
• Visions Near and Far," Cabrillo College, Santa Cruz, CA, 1975
• "Drawing U.S.A.," Minnesota Museum of art, Minneapolis, MN, and Traveling, 1975-77
• "California-Hawaii Biennial," San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, CA, 1972 (1st prize award), 1974, 1978
• San Diego City College, San Diego, CA (one person show), 1971
• San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art, La Jolla, CA (one person Show), 1967
• Sander Gallery, San Diego, CA (two person show), 1963
• San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art, La Jolla, CA (one person show), 1959

SELECTED COLLECTIONS

• Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, II
• Northern Trust Co., Chicago, Il .........................................................................................
• Edwin A. Bergman, Chicago, Il
• Mr. and Mrs. Robert Mollers, Chicago, Il
• Anita Rosenblum, Chicago, Il
• Michael Caris, Chicago, Il
• MCA Corporation, New York, NY
• Mr. and Mrs. Michael Waldman, New York, NY
• Warner Brothers Studios, Burbank, CA
• United Artists, Hollywood, CA
• A. & M. Records, Hollywood, CA
• Biola University, La Mirada, CA
• Rudolf Wahlandt, Stuttgart, Germany
• Renata Tarrago, Barcelona, Spain
• Rev. Harvey Cox, Boston, MA
• James Elder, Washington, D.C.
• James Tanner, Washington, D.C.
• Jonathan Meader, San Francisco, CA
• Thomas Burke, San Francisco, CA
• Dr. Stroud Connor, San Jose, CA
• Mr. and Mrs. Alex Saikowski, Encinitas, CA
• Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth Gott, La Jolla, CA
• Scott Barnett, San Diego, CA
• David Mitchell, Pagosa Springs, CO
• Mr. and Mrs. Joseph McDaniels, Paradise Valley, AZ
• Dr. Thomas E. Layman, Minnepolis, MN

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

• "Making Art and Eating Too," in The Forum, Cliff McReynolds, Academic Senate for CA Community Colleges, 1993, pp.26-28
• State of the Arts, Dr. Gene Veith, Crossway Books, 1991, pp. 190-93
• "Wonders of the Visible world" in Criticue of America," Cliff McReynolds, Alden Mills Pub., Feb. 1988, pp. 27-29
• San Diego Artists, Robert Perine, Artra Publishing Inc., 1988, pp. 148-151
• "Art Now: Give Me Liberty or Give Me License," in Hill Courier, Cliff McReynolds, San Diego, Feb. 1985, p. 7
• "Revelation Art," in Format: Art and the World, Cliff McReynolds, Seven Oaks Press, Aug 1982, pp. 18-21
• Revelation Art: All Things New," Cliff McReynolds, an autobiography and survey of work since 1960, Pomegranate Press, 1980
• Who's Who in American Art, 1978-present
• Visions I, the work of seven visionary artists (forward by Walter Hopps), Pomegranate Press, 1977
• Magazines and other reproductions: Omni, 1977, 1980, 1982
• Graphis Annual, 1974
• Esquire, 1973
• United Artists Records, 1971, 1972, 1973
• Warner Brothers Records, 1970, 1973, 1977
• CRM Books, 1971 Psychology Today, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1973
• Pomegranate press, Rohnert Park, CA: publisher and distributor of posters and prints of Cliff McReynolds' work in the United States, Europe and Asia, 1974 to present