Playing with Ways to Depict People & Their Unique Narratives.
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| Images by B. Shawn Cox |
Artist: B. Shawn Cox
Expertise: Painting
Additional Talents: Mixed Media, Photo Transfers
Materials: Oil Paint, Brushes, Fabric, Found Photos & Paper
Style: Layered Pieces Portraying People & their Narrative
Inspiration: Vintage Photographs, Ads, & Pop Culture
Subject Matter: Nostalgic Scenes & People Filled with Emotion
Website: www.bshawncox.com
Shop Offline: Shows Announced on Social Media
Social Media: [Facebook] [Instagram]
Home Base: Austin, TX
Spotted At: East Austin Studio Tour
Some artists need a blank canvas to get started, a fresh slate of whiteness to fill. And then there are artists like Austin based B. Shawn Cox who begins many of his works picking a patterned fabric for the background on top of which he will paint. Instead of preferring a void to populate with his vision, he finds inspiration in the mix of colors and shapes across the often vintage textiles he chooses. He then pairs this not so blank canvas with a nostalgic photograph that he can reconstruct in brush strokes. Layer by layer, his portraits come to life. B. Shawn is inspired by stories and humor. He likes to focus on photographs with the potential for narrative interpretation. While the background remains mostly untouched, his painted figures and strategically placed items they may be wearing or holding help you piece together what's happening in the scene. You can see the vintage connection in the outfits, accessories, hairdos and more. Often he uses elements that feel dated or cliché for an amusing effect, but I can appreciate the nod to a simpler time when connections were made in person and emotions were expressed outwardly. I think that's why most of B. Shawn's faces have so much character and color. Overall, I love how he preserves people of the past on the fabrics that would have surrounded them. He creates a whole new dynamic with his portraits on top of so much pattern and nostalgia, but the figures still stand out as the main focus. I can't wait to see how his style evolves with new fabrics and people to represent!
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| Images by B. Shawn Cox |
