SeanGarrison
-
-
BIO
"art is meant to wake people up, sit inside their head and spin the imagination like an old soul record. I guess that makes me a 'DJ' of a different sort."
-seangarrisonseangarrison (b.1968) is a native Detroiter currently residing in Minneapolis, MN. He is a writer and Abstract painter in which both disciplines cross-influence the other. The influences range from the words of Nikki Giovanni, Amiri Baraka, Pablo Neruda and Yusef Komuyakaa to Frank Bowling, Jackson Pollack, Willem de kooning and Ed Clark. His Abstracproseality series merges these two artistic hemispheres of seangarrison through an iconography, a language, where he writes poetry and translates it “visually” on canvas creating a work of art on canvas. A self-taught artist he feels that all artists should have a foundational understanding of art but art is conceived in the soul of the artist which precludes an academic knowledge.
He enjoys visual art in its entirety; but, abstract art's ability to elicit different responses to “what it is” intrigues him as no answer, in his opinion, is essentially wrong. Wassily Kandinsky once stated, “The artist must train not only his eye, but his soul.” This statement is the foundation of
the following seangarrison quote; “…the experiences that each human meets, trains their soul to view and weigh the world, and art, differently on the scale of their being. No matter how joyous or painful that accounting is, it is always beautiful because it is natural. As an artist I feel it is my responsibility to reveal that beauty by allowing others to see my work; thus, allowing them to see themselves. There is also an obligation that I, as well as artists of all mediums and genres, assume when we step upon the “artist” dais. That duty is to “say something valuable”, add to the public discourse of what needs to be corrected within our society and/or worldwide community. To “paint a pretty picture” is not enough for the artist. Surely one can do so, but, it must be balanced with an edification of humanity through this talent gifted to us.”




Artist Statement
I am a "non-conformist conforming to non-conformity". I am a self taught human and soul taught artist. I am an abstract artist. I’ve often wondered why I was drawn to this art style. What I’ve found is the core of me resonates with and my mind functions the way an abstract painting often looks; colorful, “all over the place, with the appearance that it’s going no where and everywhere concurrently”, free. I appreciate the ability of abstract art to allow the viewer to define what it means to them, what they see, through their life's lens. Which is where their truth is born.
Someone once asked me if they were to take residence in my head what would it look like. I told them, “it would look like a room full of over caffeinated kindergarten children." Perpetually alternating from one thought to the next, full of joy yet caution, full of peace yet fear. I enjoy realistic and figurative work, but, abstract art is free of the constraints that realistic or figurative work commands at time. By nature and by “artist” I am born to be free. Prayerfully, my art reflects this freedom and those that view my work feel this as well.