STEVIE J. EDWARDS Biography

“BRIEF BIOGRAPHY& GOALS”

BACK GROUND: I’ve never written one of these, so I’ll start with the legal name my mother gave me, Stevie j. I was born in Phoenix, Arizona In 1967. My parents were farmers from Arkansas and grow up during the great depression. I’m the baby of the family one of five, so I got a little spoiled. I haven’t got a lot of formal education, not for the lack of my parents trying, but because I was stubborn & rebellious. The weird thing is I absolutely love to read. My first artistic experience that I can remember I was about four or five? Or so I’m told, I stumbled on some old paint cans dad had in the carport and proceeded to oil paint the walls(I’m sure it was abstract!),sometimes to this day when I smell turpentine I remember that. so they went out and bought me an art set. I have no formal art training other then public school and books. Through the years growing up I always love to draw and paint, I used it to kill time or to help me cope when I was down an out. It was a personal thing and I regret now not sharing with other people that thing which I loved most. As a teen I read (mostly looked at), any and everything on Greek art, the renaissance, African art, all the impressionist, but by far the modern art movement of the last century has moved me the most, I was about eight or nine my school took a field trip to Phoenix, and the cubist paintings there drew me in, so I ask the teacher who painted that one she informed me it was Picasso I was immediately hooked on modern art! I was struck by the broken line and form and monotone color that still seemed so bright. At this point you maybe asking yourself why this guy didn’t go on to peruse a degree or do something with his art? Well John Lennon summed it up best, “life happens to you while you’re busy making other plans”. I have no regrets about the past I’m still 42- years young and I feel my imagination is more in tune then ever, and my inner heart is on fire with inspirational power that as a child I could never express, but trough mature eye’s I view the possibilities!

Artist's Statement

ABOUT MY ART & GOALS: Though the years I’ve noticed that most everything in nature has a around quality to it and most everything humanity touches, builds or brings into existence is square in its nature. This strange dichotomy is what fuels my art to some degree. No matter the subject I paint or sculpt I try to fuse these two elements that seems to exist in all things that possesses the quality we call aesthetically beautiful, weather produced by nature or humankind. I’ve always called this,” my attempts to square the round”. I’ve always been fascinated by things that clash and war for visual dominants, no matter the subject I paint I try to marry the coldest, colds right next to the hottest, hot. I’ve noticed when I’ve been successful or lucky enough to achieve this effect, set in the right composition with the right subject matter its pleasing to me. I’ve always loved and admired the female form, I believe it to be Gods masterpiece. So a lot of my work is centered on this particular muse. But as of lately I’ve been trying to paint people that represent a particular culture or place in time. Like the canvas I recently completed, “The Mayan“. Or the symbolism I tried projecting in the two sister canvas, “Western world and eastern world“. I believe art should at times fight for a cause like the plight of inequality for women throughout the world. I tried to project this in my painting, “Sisters, want & Plenty“. I believe subjects like these and many more are not so much political as they are basic human rights. Art should embrace these subjects, not with shocking images that repel the average viewer. But with form and color that pulls them in. if given the time, money and opportunity I would explore subjects that center around these things, don’t get me wrong I have no political agenda I just believe art can bring people to the knowledge of these things in a unique and beautiful way.