Biennial Artist: Sean Foley
Run Time: 17:16
Sean Foley (United States, born 1969), Menace, 2007, oil, acrylic, latex, mdf panels, linen, steel extension rods, 15 x 33 feet x 20 inches. Lent by the artist.
My process is tedious and slow. It drives me crazy, but I suppose it’s because I’m seeking an “event” rather than any singular aesthetic resolution. I view the work, especially the installations, as a type of suspended animation. They precariously balance figuration and abstraction as well as numerous other contradictions. I use bright colors to invite and repel the eye. While suggesting space, the clash of colors also creates an atmosphere of visual overload and claustrophobia.
I am attracted to eccentric and idiosyncratic artists and greatly enjoy the folly of painting—the unfinished, the awkward, and the misfits. I appreciate their vision and consuming passions that enable them to freely leave the present and wander off contentedly with nothing but wonder.
Watch Sean’s artist talk:
Part I
Part II