Shaun O’Brien

ART NOW S20 Painting

About
Class of 2020
Art + Design Major

Course
ART332 Painting II

Statement

Acrylic on watercolor paper

20x 20 in

This piece is an acrylic adaptation of a photo that I took of a plant arrangement in my room. I have used this photo in other works including a linocut reduction. I wanted to create an acrylic version that used unrealistic colors to create an interesting and colorful piece. I chose the pink and blue color palette because those colors compliment each other and worked well for this image. I normally would not use acrylic on paper but I wanted to use a dry brush technique for parts of it. My goal for this piece was to push myself outside of realism and to try a different approach with the color palette.

Acrylic on wood

20x 20 in

This piece is a depiction of various pills in the style of pop art. I am a big fan of pop art and it influences many of my pieces. I am a big admirer of Damien Hirst and this piece is somewhat based on his work but also my own experiences. I thought the subject matter and the bright colors were an interesting juxtaposition. I wanted to use pills as the subject because I think that it is divisive in some ways. Pharmaceuticals can help people who need them for mental health purposes but also pose issues as well. I think in some ways prescription drugs for mental illness are taboo and not often talked about despite the fact that so many people take them. This piece is not intended to have a particular political stance one way or the other but more to bring attention to a subject that is often forgotten about.