| Kevin O'brien |
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Born in the 50's, eventually influenced by abstract expressionism, be-bop, the beat, etc. Grew up in 60's, with rock and roll, high-energy jazz, etc.
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| About the Artist |
Influenced by Van Gogh (and Abstract Expressionism), Rauschenberg, Klee, Dubuffet, children's art, surrealism, dada, pop art, jimi hendrix and high-energy jazz (e.g., Coltrane), etc.
I was awed and knocked to the ground by Van Gogh's art (especially when I saw it in person). It walks a thin line between markings on some surface that depict something, and tracing the flow of energy through that being. Later expressionist movements helped expand the vocabulary that can be used.
Surrealism also had an impact – its super-focus and startling sharpness helped provide a basis for the glistening effects I like to add to some works. Its rearrangement of shape and form helped me to melt normal shapes into new forms, which could better be used to express their energy. The collage work of Rauschenberg and others further contributed to the breaking down of the normal arrangement of form.
Paul Klee and others developed a language using symbols. Children in their art create symbols for well-known entities that often form a basic vocabulary to represent things commonly found in their world. Dubuffet expanded on this idea. I try to add in symbols known to modern industrial culture, in the manner of Pop Art, but using basic industrial materials themselves, more in the brute manner of Dubuffet, children or early cultures.
High energy jazz and rock and roll, like John Coltrane and Jimi Hendrix, helped me to expand my ideas about high energy expression, itself.
I do not feel that use of the basic materials of painting has been exhausted, or that art now must explore new materials/media to be able to make a valid statement.
Finally, since, to me, the spiritual is directly self-evident, it is also present in my work. The political and socio-political world are foreign to my art.
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Click to enlarge images (if larger image has been loaded) |
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Big Fish
2004 Acrylic, brown paper bags, styrofoam, wax paper 91.4 cm X 61 cm |
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This is a fish in the ocean. It is done in bas relief, in 3D. |
HiFi Hamburg
2005 Acylic, cardboard, glitter 91.4 cm X 61 cm |
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This is a hamburger at Hi-Fi speed. |
School of Fish
1979 Acrylic, brown paper bag, wax paper on cardboard 91.4 X 76.2 |
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a school of fish |
Auvers 1976
1977 acrylic 91.4 x 61 |
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Hoamge to Van Gogh's Crows Over the Wheat Field |
Hi Speed Bison
2005 Arylic on cardboard 91.4 x 61 |
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A bison at high speed |
Herd
1979 Acrylic, brown paper bag, wax paper on cardboard 91.4 x 76.2 |
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herd of bison in the grass |
Sputnik
1978 Paper, pencil, styrofoam, spray paint and antennas 152.4 x 50.8 |
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drawing of the Sputnik |
Bacon & Eggs
1976 Acrylic, newsapaper, brown paper bag, wax paper on canvas board 91.4 x 61 |
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Bacon and eggs |
Hamburger
1976 Acrylic, brown paper bag, newspaper on canvas board over pine 2" X 4"'s, with sparkles 91.4 x 203.2 |
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momumental hamburger |
The Passage of Time
1978 Acrylic, newspaper, aluminum foil, on canvas board on pine 2 221 x 558.8 |
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Using primitive carpentry of my devices, along with canvas board, newspaper, aluminum foil and rope, I constructed three works of art connected together to represent time passing. The piece is displayed on an old concrete driveway, with an old-age home in the background. The materials used are "modern" in the sense that I grabbed them within my own living area (in the hope that people of the industrial civilization would be familiar with them), and jerry-rigged the frame, developing my own construction techniques as I went. Please note that this piece was done in the late 1970's. It was set up as part of a personal exhibit that I presented privately to Gillian Levine (curator of the ICA in Boston at the time) in the morning, and then to Carl Belz of the Rose Art Gallery (then) in the afternoon. Both looked favorably on the works. |
Thunderbird
1979 Arcylic on homosote, wax paper, styrofoam, stripped electrical cord 215.9 X 121.92 |
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thunderbird gathering energy in the sky from clouds, etc........... |
Energy Pak
1979 Acrylic, rope, cardboard box, plastic containers, car parts, light parts 305.1 X 132 |
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Centralized focus to enhance materialized energy |
Wave
1979 Acrylic, wax paper, aluminum foil, cotton 61 X 92 |
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crashing ocean wave out of materials representative of those commonly found in societies today |
House
1979 pencil on paper, matte board 61 X 76 |
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drawing on torn paper in pencil, depicting a house |
Bison 1976
1976 Acrylic, cardboard box, paper tubes, wax paper 106 x 91 x 86 |
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3D Bison constructed of everyday materials, post industrialization |
Nude Woman
1977 Acrylic, canvas board, card tubing, slated box, styrofoam 223 x 91 x 41 |
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nude woman constructed of everyday materials, connected together |
Menthol Cigarettes
1976 Acrylic, cardboard, styrofoam 101 x 76 x 23 |
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A full package of menthol cigarettes - way cool
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Bisons in the Grass 1999
1999 Acrylic, cardboard 101 x 76 x 5 |
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bisons running in the grass |
Fossil
1977 Acrylic, canvas board, rope, newpaper 226 x 91 x 20 |
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Fossilzed remains of an ancient creature |
Front Door
1978 Acrylic, wood, canvas board, styrofoam, cardboard box, wax paper 198 x 91 x 20 |
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Front door to my home constructed in my own primitive carpentry, using left over materials |
Human Being on Earth
1978 Pper on pencil, matte board 91 x 50 x 5 |
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Drawing of a human being on earth using ripped up paper, pencil and matte board |
Ice Shield
1979 Acrylic, rubber foam, electrical wiring 116 x 76 x 15 |
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A special shield designed to protect against ice, during the Ice Age, on exhibit at Boston City Hall, constructed of raw industrial materials |
Kachina
1979 Acrylic, wood, homosote, canvas board, styrofoam, rope, egg cartons, wax paper 190 x 91 x 20 |
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Spirit being, called upon for help her on earth, to bring life to industrial setting |
Nude Bather
1979 Acrylic, newspaper, cardboard box, cardboard tube 188 x 167 x 91 |
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Installation representing the famous vignette, constructed in 3D, using only an industrial vocabulary |
Computer at Phoenix Technologies
1988 Acrylic, newspaper, aluminum foil 76n x 40 x 2 |
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Computer and screen with logo, at Phoenix Technologies |
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| Education and biography |
| BFA - studied with John Grillo (a student of Hans Hoffman). A few small, local exhibitions, including a long corridor at Boston City Hall where I could display abou 30 works. Some contemporary gallery directors (Gillian Levine who was at the ICA, Boston and Carl Belz, who was at the Rose Art Gallery, Brandeis) came to my workspace to see my work (after viewing slides) and were very encouraging. |
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| Future shows |
| Looking around.... |
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Website: mysite.verizon.net/klob |
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