In searching for meaning, joy, and purpose in life, many find art, including artist Brad Overton. His mysterious yet compelling portraits are the subjects of a solo exhibition in Santa Fe.
In many ways, the works and creative process of Brad Overton truly embody artistry because of his openness to multiple sources of inspiration. Indeed, this just might be a common feature of all artists — individuals who continually find, and look, for their next masterpiece in all things.
“My paintings are realistic,” Overton writes. “The ideas I think of show up that way so that’s how I paint. All of my dreams are in realism. The whole world, in fact, looks pretty realistic to me. So I’m interested in that. I’m interested in the choices I can make, the inventory or ‘visual vocabulary’ I can build which is unique to me, but accessible to those I come into contact with through my paintings. At times I choose subjects or arrangements because they are funny, which is essential and miraculous. Other paintings are meant to host the sublime, which is the undercurrent of our world; its origin and mystery. Other paintings are meant to remind the viewer of an aspect or attribute to lay claim to. But the common thread is that they are meant to serve the viewer. I paint paintings that I want to see, that I can’t wait to paint. I simply trust my own interest and taste expecting others to come along.”
“Embodying Myth through Imagination: New Portraits and Figures by Brad Overton” opens on June 18. To learn more, visit Blue Rain Gallery.
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Embodying Myth through Imagination
