Charles Andrade - Basalt, Colorado

"The lyrical dance of Color, Movement and Form are the playground on which my imagination roams. “Color” gives direction to movement, meaning to form, and essence to life. In working with the polarity, metamorphosis and enhancement of these elements, I align my soul’s striving with the higher, more life-giving reality of the Spirit."

Charles Andrade was born in Detroit, Michigan and studied art in the US and the UK. He paints in the color-field style that evolved from his studies in Art and Art Therapy in England during the late 70's and early 80's.

"The greatest influence on my artistic approach came during my late 20's, when I began reading the work of philosopher Rudolf Steiner and the color theories of J.W. Goethe. Steiner's approach to the Arts was radical in that he thought artists need to work with their medium and understand the inherent qualities in each art form - drawing (black and white/value), painting (contracting and expanding of moving color), dance (movement ot tone or speech), sculpture (the convex/concave elements of form in space).

Steiner believed that the 'Mission of the Arts' is to bring humanity closer to the spiritual world. With the idea that everything of matter has a spiritual element behind it, and by working consciously with the matter/medium of their art, artists can come closer to communion with the spiritual reality living within matter (water, air, earth, fire).

Steiner's approach to what the Arts are here to do is very different than a Post-Modern Art approach. The artist uses a meditative approach to create new forms out of matter and strives to transform the cyncism of the times into something more positive - through a joyous communion with color and movement."

Charles Andrade has exhibited in galleries in Washington DC, Colorado, California and New Mexico and his work is found in private collections in North America and Europe. He also lectures on the arts and gives workshops throughout the US. He has been featured in many newspaper and magazine articles, including The Washington Post and The Aspen Times.

While he lived on both the East and West Coasts for many years, Charles now makes his home in the mountains of Colorado.