Will Rothfuss’ Texas Church Project began in 2020 as an exhaustive survey of some 15,000 churches in Texas. At the heart of the project are the artist’s “photographs” that derive from screen saves of these structures from the Google Street View camera. Using the images as reference, Rothfuss creates large-scale paintings—making no attempts to hide the image menus, keys, maps, and watermarks captured during the original screen save.

Within the layers of his painted imagery, Rothfuss records a culture that is unique to the American experience. Rothfuss states, “Many of the buildings are dramatically altered or have disappeared altogether in the intervening years since the Google car last visited. But the images are more than the churches. They are often dominated by the landscape, and in particular, the skies, inviting the viewer to reflect on the relationship of nature to organized religion.”

In addition to the photographs and realistic paintings, the exhibition includes an installation of his scale models that derive from the same source material. These carefully crafted facsimiles project from the wall as sculptural reliefs. Yet, unlike the paintings, the surrounding landscapes and expansive skies are edited out, leaving intimate and concentrated “architectural” spaces to consider.

Originally trained as an actor and set designer, Rothfuss transitioned to fine art in his early 20s. From 1973-1974 he studied drawing and painting at the Art Students’ League in New York City where he was a Merit Scholar. Rothfuss received his BA from Cornell University in 1975. He currently makes art full time in his studio at his home near Delaware Water Gap, PA.

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