The signature work by Brian Keith Stephens for his ‘Imagery and Dreams’ exhibition on view at The Cooley Gallery.
The Old Lyme Phoebe Griffin Noyes Library hosts an exhibition of work by featured Artist of the Month, Brian Keith Stephens titled, ‘Imagery and Dreams.’ It will be on view through Aug. 30, and most works are for sale with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the library.
Stephens’s artistic studies began in his native Connecticut, expanded to cosmopolitan Paris and New York, to return full circle to the rural studio where his paintings come to life. Nostalgia, nature, romance and childhood inform simplicity of subject matter; however, the emotional and physical breadth of each piece resonates in the layers upon contrasting layers of paint.
The resulting works show both the direct energy of the artist’s hand while revealing the story of the artist’s heart. The titles created for his pieces range from humorous to poetic, informing a fuller perception of the artist than the painting alone might present.
A distinctive painter with a quiet, gentle and searching presence, Stephens ‘s works celebrate the innocence of the child within while documenting the passions and conflicts we grow into. Over the past 15 years the prolific Stephens has exhibited in Denmark, France, Germany and across the US to wide acclaim.
Stephens makes the following Artist’s Statement, “How to capture the past, present and future at the same time — this is at the center of my work as an artist. Growing up in Connecticut, I have always found animals as a vessel for depicting human emotion; I believe in many ways animals are capable of expressing human emotions in a way that is both understandable and mysterious and alluring.”
He continues, “Like animals, we are all wild and fearful, but unlike animals, we have to live in this world of rules and norms. My desires, my emotions, are not always able to fit in the place and society I live, but in my art, I can find a place for those outliers to join forces.”
Finally, Stephens notes, “At the center of my work and life are these fascinations with myth, the spectrum of human passion, our kinship to the spirit of the wild animal, and challenge of balancing the real with the fanciful. We must balance all of this while also navigating the spectrum of time, the web of past, present and future. My art has been and continues to be my outlet for exploring these themes and conjuring up new ones.”