STEEN's Blog: January 2008

Friday, January 25, 2008

The Abstraction Distraction : Group Show

On Saturday February the 16th my painting "Please Smile" will open as part of a awesome group show curated by Glenn Barr at Jay and Mishell's M Modern Gallery in Palm Springs at roughly 6pm. Artists in the SPECIAL show include: Glenn Barr, SHAG, Chris Reccardi, Gary Taxali, Tim Biskup, Jophen Stein, Amanda Visell, STEEN and many more.

Cheers,
B

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Under the Influence: A Tribute to Stan Lee

Hey All,

Well the day has surfaced for my painting to do me proud. As tonight Jensen and Katie of G88 LA open their doors to what Jensen says "should be the galleries best show to dat". So my painting 3' x 3' acyrlic on maple veneer - "Hulk Loves Betty" will enjoy itself hung alongside of some absolutely A-List artistes painting today in the Low Brow scene such as Tim Biskup, Craola, Amanda Visell, Chris Ryniak and some geezer from Toronto, hmmmm I wonder who that could be?? Seriously, I was humbled when Jensen put the call into me back in the early summer and just hope Stan Lee the 85 year old juggernaut gets a smile as he views my painting.

B

An Analogue Artist in a Digital World

Biography

When asked Award Winning artist Brandon Steen will recall that his childhood played and continues to influence his artistic development. He took great comfort in exploring the fields and marshes behind his Nan’s and his Gram’s. Summers spent isolated in small border towns had a huge influence where by American television filtered it’s way into his grandparents homes throught their monsterous sized antennas. But Saturday mornings trumped any other of the days when shows from the 30's, 40's and 50's such as " Bugs Bunny", "Popeye", “The Munster’s, "Mighty Mouse”, “Woody the Woodpecker”, “Bug’s Bunny and Tweety Show”, "The Mickey Mouse Club", "Tarzan", "Flash Gordon" & “Abbot and Costello” beamed into the living room. Brandon also fed on the steady diet of American Monster movies & comics chiefly the 1933 “King Kong” which also happens to be Brandon’s all time favourite movie, “The Creature from the Black Lagoon”, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” and comic books like “The Incredible Hulk”, “Captain America” & “Spiderman” are a few that heavily influenced his imagination then and now to grow into richly, imaginary worlds.

Brandon’s distinct paintings are a rich narrative, home to an array of sinisterly beautiful characters woven together with pop references from his boyhood. It has afforded Brandon’s paintings to be sought out after and shown by the preeminent galleries in the Pop Surrealist movement today. Galleries such as M Modern, La Luz De Jesus, Gallery 1988 LA, Billy Shire Fine Arts, Subject Matter, Thinkspace, Compound, WindUp and to The Magic Pony Gallery in Toronto. His paintings are owned by many private collectors from Canada, The United States and Europe.

His artistic influences are many and cast a wide net. Initially, being exposed early in his life by the Surrealist’s giants such as Salvador Dali and Walt Disney to today’s Pop Surrealist’s. Artist’s like Tim Burton, John Kricfalusi, Mark Ryden, Gary Baseman, Jeff Soto, Shaunna Peterson, Bob Dob, Lesley Reppeteaux, Liz McGrath, Dave Cooper & The Clayton Brothers are hugely significant to him as are Stan Lee and Chuck Jones.

Brandon Steen was born in the hard working lakeside town of Leamington, Ontario Canada on the north shore of Lake Erie. He currently lives with the lovely Miss Jane and works from his studio In Toronto where he paints happiest with his English bull terrier Mr. Séamus at his heels amongst the ever growing rows of vinyl sculptures, books, antique toys, antique tins and the ashes of Clancy his first English bull terrier. Interests that have his ear are Johnny Cash, making pizza, Rex Murphy, Sasquatch, Lake Monsters, Tiki Art, Hot Rods, 61 - 63 Lincoln Continentals with suicide doors and his self professed healthy obsession with Bettie Page.

The artist can be contacted through his website brandonstenart.com and currently is working on his upcoming
solo show “GUNKY GAVE ME CASH” in Palm Springs at M Modern gallery in November 2008.

Friday, January 25, 2008

The Abstraction Distraction : Group Show

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Under the Influence: A Tribute to Stan Lee

An Analogue Artist in a Digital World

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