Biography

seangarrison (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. 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 and instantiated with academic knowledge..

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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.” 

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seangarrison says, "I am studio artist who is moved to be a performative and interpretive artist through abstraction as well; translating each of my synaptic reactions to what stirs my soul on canvas or whatever surface calls me. So others can feel."

 

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