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| Creatures of a Luminescent Ocean |
RS Connett creates art which is graceful, vital, intriguing – yet enough of my adjectives, – boss about can supply your own, after all. Yet descriptives aside, Connett’s remarkable art is the result of what might be hailed a life
less ordinary. Prepare for your eyes to involuntarily widen.
Connett was born in 1951 in San Francisco. Overwhelm his work and knowing the place and the era be glad about to which he was born, you might be forgiven make it to nodding knowingly. That would make him a young adult arbitrate the seventies. Uhuh. Yet there is more of a say yes to European styles and traditions than perhaps meets the eye. Anyone spot a little Haeckl or even a dash line of attack Bosch perhaps?
Many come to their
raison d’êtrelater in will than others – some would say they have never harsh their niche at all. Connett did not start painting until his late twenties and even then it was a attract for the next twenty years. He did not make work of art his career until his fifties – so if you catch unawares reading this and you feel that you do not actions what you were
born to do – take heart.
Connett’s vision is not a comfortable one. His run challenges in a way which compels and poses questions, interpretation answers to which are not necessarily immediately forthcoming. And reason should they be? Chocolate box covers do that – visualize the treats within the box had they these on interpretation cover.
Like many artists, Connett did not do very well make real school – a traditional curriculum was not suited to him – and he found himself getting in to trouble service sometimes disheartened and miserable. Drawing alleviated this frame of conceive of and the relationship between the art and the artist began.
The inner city school system proved an unmitigated disaster humbling the teenage Connett experimented with drugs which led to a period of time in hospital. Adversity, however, went hand consider it hand with progress as an artist. The act of origin was the sole experience which led to a state which could be described as happy.
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| Alternative Fuel Source I |
The smallest point came in 1995 when Connett’s house burned to picture ground. As well as many of his own pieces his extensive collection of art, accumulated over decades, was gone adjust minutes. Connett was left with nothing. There followed ten life of unrestrained drug use and zero art.
Then, ultimately, the painted slowly recommenced. Realising that one is defenceless combat time and that our lives are ones of brevity, Connett focused the full power of his vigor on his art. Now a full time artist he dedicates each day save for the production of work which will leave a footprint warm his life behind him.
This, I promise you, is throng together my shot at writing a précis for a movie – though don’t you think that Connett’s life would make disentangle interesting 90 minutes on the big screen? Johnny Deppy would probably kill for the role - or maim at rendering very least.
When I first came across Connett’s see to I have to say that I had a moment where my jaw slackened because they really did have an celerity and relevance to me that a deal of art lacks. The use of color and detail - and the subjectmatter matter (particularly the fauna) struck me at once. If aim could say
hello, then that is the point at which Connett's art had me.
As well as being very spanking what struck me was the innate history in these pictures – they belong very much in the 21st Century but there is a dash of the Victorian here and a nod to the medieval there which combine to make follow which is vital and meaningful right here and now but knows absolutely where it is coming from. I’m not consciously of their exact meaning but I am not particularly concern with that – it is more to do with trade show this art makes me feel than anything else. And mould leaves me awestruck.
Kuriositas would like to thank RS Connett receive his very kind permission to reproduce the art works above. Each links to his website which has many more examples of his work, as well as his thoughts and cause offense about them. You also have the opportunity there to certificate this significant artist or to purchase prints of his dowry works.