“For, granting that one is a person, one has necessarily also the philosophy of one’s personality; there is, however, an important distinction here. With the one it is his defects which philosophize, with the other it is with his riches and powers. The former requires his philosophy, whether it be as support, sedative, or medicine, as salvation, elevation, or self-alienation; with the latter it is merely a fine luxury, at best the voluptuousness of a triumphant gratitude.”

-Friedrich Nietzsche

Depending on who's asking, I have lots of reasons I’ll give for why I make art and what kind of art I make. Sometimes I’ll explain I prefer making art that is accessible to the rural community I was born into. If the person is someone who also spends a lot of time making their own art, I’ll often tell them how I like to play with perspective; their perspective, my perspective, shared perspective––perspective is the only reality, weird. Probably the explanation I find myself giving and others accepting most easily is the “magic is normal” one. For some reason it’s very common for people to repeat this back to me like, “Oh, magic is real.” No. Magic is normal. I specify the normal part and then we generally get into a conversation about what magic means. People seem very willing to agree that there is something kind of magic about this world that we’re in, even if they’re uncomfortable admitting it, and when I discuss normal magic, the magic that anyone might sometimes come into contact with in a parking lot or in a waiting room, there’s never much of an explanation beyond that. Despite the impossible vagueness of the words “normal magic” the meaning does seem to be comprehended. I paint normal magic.

CV / Tiana Godfrey

Education

MFA, Painting and Drawing, Montana State University

BFA, Painting and Drawing, Utah State University

BA, Art History, Utah State University

Exhibitions

Faculty Exhibition (group), Projects Gallery, Logan, UT

NONE OF IT’S TRUE, ALL OF IT’S REAL (solo), Tippetts and Eccles Gallery, Logan, UT

Corner Glow (solo), The Alley on Center, Logan, UT

NONE OF IT’S TRUE, ALL OF IT’S REAL  (solo), Helen E. Copeland Gallery, Bozeman, MT

Notice What You Notice (group), Northcutt Steele Gallery, Billings, MT

Third Year MFA Teaser (group), Melvin, Bozeman, MT,

Self-Reflections (group), Exit Gallery, Bozeman, MT

No Horses (group), Melvin, Bozeman, MT,

Mostly Horses (group), Melvin, Bozeman, MT

Too Many Dinner Parties (group), Melvin, Bozeman, MT

Lost Dog (group), Melvin, Bozeman, MT

Being (group), Project Gallery, Logan, UT

Masculinae (solo), Readymade Gallery, Logan, UT

The Figure (group), Project Gallery, Logan UT

USU Undergraduate Exhibition (group), Projects Gallery, Logan, UT

Iridescence (group), Merrill-Cazier Library, Utah State University, Logan, UT

Currently Adjunct Professor of Painting and Drawing at USU
Courses
Painting 1 – Utah State University
Painting 2 – Utah State University
Advanced Painting – Utah State University
Drawing 1 – Utah State University
Drawing 2 – Utah State University
Basic Oil Painting – Ogden Eccles Art Center
Visual Language / Drawing – Montana State University