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I was born (Steven Thomas VanOeveren) in Grand Rapids, Michigan. When I was a young child
my mother used to drive me to my drawing lessons where I was forced to draw bowls of fruit and cow skulls.
In 2006 my former lover gave me a handful of paints and brushes, and I started painting. Since then, I have
participated in exhibitions in cities nationwide including: Grand Rapids, Washington D.C., Las Vegas,
Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and St. Louis.The human body is as important or irrelevant as the brush, paint or surface that I am using at the time. The only clear difference to me between the materials, and processes I use to create the work and the subject matter of the figure is the heightened sensation I get from painting the skin, features and appendages of the human body or of any living, breathing organism. There are themes that come to surface through my process including the human psyche in relation to the figure, sexuality, and social identity, but any concepts, themes or narratives that exist in the work become strongly intertwined in relationship with the way that the painting stimulates me. This is what I work towards in completion of any piece of art. My process is more about instinct than intelligent repetition. It is a process of creating and destroying. As the painting reveals itself I am forced to destroy other areas to allow the entire work to unfold. I work with a lot of source material from photographs, magazines, and books. The source material is not used as a direct reference. I usually focus on one part of the image and then I alter, add, and subtract from the image. The image is rarely identifiable in relation to the painting. The distinction between what is and isn't art is the conscious decision of the individual. The intention of the artist does not exist to the viewer until the viewer's thought process is influenced by an outside source. The relationship between the viewer and the artist is rarely a direct one. It is the choice of either party as to how much they want to be influenced by each other. It is not my intention or obligation to be concerned with what the viewer does or does not want to see or feel. It is most artists' desire to have a mass audience, but allowing this to control their expression is not a sacrifice any artist should feel inspired to make. The creation of art is a selfish act, yet a duality exists in the sense that one of the greatest things you can share with someone is an authentic expression. |