Spotlight: Artist experiences brush with life

Various shapes, hues and textures buoy artist Larry Forgard’s studio. They adorn the walls, which consist of completed works and those still evolving, eagerly awaiting the next brushstroke or dab of paint. While a local jazz station bounces out fiery notes of trumpet, saxophone, drums and bass on the radio, Forgard adds the final touches to his pieces for his upcoming show, “Figure Flow of Life,” which runs until Nov. 22, at Art Center Sarasota.

Born and raised in Chicago, Forgard was practically raised in the Windy City’s art crucible; he studied at both the Art Institute of Chicago and the American Academy of Art. His studies led him to a career in graphic design, and he worked at several Chicago design and advertising studios. Forgard’s combination of art and business acumen led to an instructor position at the Ringing College of Art and Design.

Having lived, worked and taught in the Sarasota area for more than 25 years, Forgard draws inspiration from a local muse: the everyday existence. Shades and shadows of human lines and figures live in his canvases in diverse hues. His works provide a snapshot of life on busy streets or quiet cafés as if captured through the soft-focus lens of a camera. Forgard uses several paints and oils and adds raw materials for extra texture.

“Everything I see inspires me,” says Forgard. “I’m a visual person, and as I walk through the city or do anything in my life, I’m always absorbing visual stimuli to get me started.”

Even though he has resided and taught in Sarasota, Forgard does not let his stable geographic location stifle his techniques or cause his art to become static.

“The process of being an artist is constantly moving on,” says Forgard. “You’re discovering technique through concepts, through experimentation, through mistakes.”

And one continuing source of inspiration is different artists, new and old masters. Artists whom Forgard has connected with throughout his career include Francis Bacon, Edgar Degas, Wolf Kahn and, most recently, Gustav Klimt. “Figure Flow of Life” contains visual echoes of the late 19th century Austrian painter, known for his emotive, symbolic and colorful portraits of men and women, such as “The Kiss” and “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I.”

Solo showings are nothing new to Forgard. During his decades-long career, he has had work exhibited at the Lincoln Center’s Cork Gallery as well as in Chicago, Atlanta, Louisville, Ky., Washington, D.C., Boca Raton, Tampa and Palm Beach.

“When people look at my work, I can only ask that they feel something personal for themselves,” says Forgard. “If I can produce something that has a little bit different emotion, feeling or concept, I can only ask that of someone, and maybe somebody who’s sitting next to them won’t feel anything at all.”

IF YOU GO 
‘Figure Flow of Life’
When: On display through Nov. 22
Where: Art Center Sarasota, 707 N. Tamiami Trail
Info: Call 365-2032 or visit artsarasota.org.