Sebastian
My exhibition aims to explore the different realms between figurative and abstract art through themes inspired by personal experiences, pop culture, and the urban environment. Although my artwork consists mostly of large scale 2D paintings each exploring different motifs relating to their theme. My main goal is to captivate the audience’s attention and evoke emotions through the copious amount of intense colours and different formal techniques from rough brush strokes to precisely detailed lines that have been applied in all of my work. All of my artwork is named after a song that I listened to whilst creating it as I believe that music and art work simultaneously. This exploration is fueled by my will to express who I am visually, to show my unique experiences that have been influenced by the world around me.
My artwork fluctuates between the figurative and abstract art which is supposed to represent the difference between how we see things and how we interpret them. My work is influenced by the world around me, I want people to see who I am in relation to my surroundings. I use abstract motifs that are repeated throughout work, the maze looking lines are supposed to represent an abstract aerial view of a city as I have spent most of my life growing up around an urban environment. My body of work is a self portrait of my experiences, the heavy brush strokes connote my explosive, extroverted personality. Jean Michel Basquiat is my biggest inspiration and is the reason I approach my work in the way I do. The use of acrylic paint has allowed me to make vibrant colours that pop out at the viewer. A recurring colour in most of my pieces is a heavy red, to me, this red represents my outgoing personality. The caricatures that I have created are an attempt to create iconic figures that I can use throughout multiple works, my inspiration for this was Keith Haring and his work. My darker work such as Travelin Man’ becomes a mix between the two different medias as it was me getting introduced to the new city of paris which was both a mix of emotions and seeing new things. Whilst working on my art I would listen to a range of different songs that I felt matched the essence of what I was trying to convey which is then narrowed down to one song which each piece is named after. I personally believe that music and art work best together, mixing in both visual and auditory stimulation.
As you walk into the gallery, the audience's attention is immediately drawn to 93 til Infinity’s intense colours and immense size. Upon entering my space, the viewer is greeted by Fat Lip which is an abstract self portrait of myself. On one side is my collection of artworks that include my characters, displaying them as a story that the viewer narrates themselves. On the floor I have chosen to display Writers Block, giving my space a u-shape, forcing the viewer to approach each artwork at different angles rather than stepping into the middle and observing from there. My large scale pieces allow the viewers to fully immerse themselves in the range of colours and emotions that each piece is intended to convey.
I want the audience to be immersed and feel the energy of the bright colours, expressive techniques, and large scale work of my exhibition. My goal is to visually engage the viewer enabling them to reflect on and explore their own interpretations and experiences. The Intense colours, references from pop culture, repetition of characters, and large scale all create a connection with the viewer and to convey the narrative and impact for the audience.
93 ‘til Infinity (October 2023)
Acrylic paint, chalk and pastel on canvas
210 x 168 cm
93 ‘til Infinity is a depiction of a bike that I took a picture of inspired by the street art style and immediacy in the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat. The painting has several cultural references hidden throughout the piece of music artists that inspired me whilst I created it. The large scale, bright colours and rigorous brush strokes create a more intense experience for the viewer. I take street art elements into this piece as the urban environment is where most of my inspiration comes from.
Fat Lip (January 2024)
Acrylic paint, chalk and pastel on Canvas
170 x 90 cm
This is a portrait of myself, The large mouth is a representation of how I have felt like people view me. Throughout my childhood I was always “too loud” or “too disruptive” which started to make me feel like that's all I was. Fat Lip is the name of a punk song, punk music is very loud and disruptive which is something that has always pulled me to it. The green background is supposed to represent the calmness of loud things.
Mama Said Knock You Out (March 2024)
Acrylic paint, chalk and pastel on wood
122 x 249 cm
Growing up I read a lot of comic books, and in them there were a lot of eccentric panels where two characters are fighting. My inspiration for this piece came from both Basquiat and Stan Lee’s Spiderman Comic books. The contrasting warm and cold colours in the background elude to who is “winning” the fight between the two characters.
Scar Tissue (December 2022)
Ceramics, Glaze
12 x 24 x 12 cm
I took elements out of my other works to create an abstract yet minimalist ceramic sculpture. The shape was heavily influenced by the work of Sol Lewitt’s Incomplete Open Cubes which inspired the use of hollow squares. The smooth surface of the piece draws attention to its form rather than what its texture is which was the objective of this piece.
