Stretched Canvas

Modern Lines

Contemporary White

Natural Clear Maple

Unframed print




Johnny Stevens, Austin, Texas
Member Since November 2014
Artist Statement johnny@johnnystevens.com
512-762-5621

I have always been attracted to the abstract. Salvador Dali has been one of my favorite artists, and I sometimes wonder if I observe life more like his surreal representations than what most people see through the lens of a camera. Constantly surveying my surroundings, I hunt for a chance to reveal the obscure – to reveal unique perspectives of ordinary images that are normally overlooked.

I have also always harbored the rebel spirit, loving to break the rules, like parking where one should not. In abstract art, there is a sense of freedom in breaking the rules, partly because the art itself has done the breaking part. I really have not broken anything, only revealed it.

At Fleming College, Florence Italy, abstract painting was my go-to genre, though I toughed out a few landscapes which were abundant around the gorgeus Villa where we lived. My thesis painting was a dead ringer of “clin d'oeil à Picasso” by Bochaton Emmanuelle. Interestingly, today in my photography I still look for patterns that are disrupted, yet try to honor balance in the composition. It is precisely this theme that became an obsession for me when I discovered the inherent beauty of the rhythms, textures and colors hidden in the finish of rat rods.

Five years ago when I first attended the Lonestar Rod and Kustom Car Round-up in Austin, I was blown away by the spectacular beauty of the cars' organic finishes – particularly the “rat rods” - hot rods whose exterior finish have been subjected to harsh elements over time –rain, sun, heat and occasionally an owner’s belt sander. The blend of old paint and rust creates a stunning patina. Each photo is an energetic ballet of textures and colors creating bold movement and intense mystery. These vintage cars span 40 years and range from a 1924 Ford Model T to a 1966 Chevy. Six years in the making, these “Rust Rapture” images are my favorites in my fine art portfolio.

Bio:
Johnny Stevens is a native North Carolinian who, after earning a Psychology degree from Wake Forest University, came to Austin to study Radio TV and Film at in the graduate program at UT. In 1982 he founded HORIZON Video, a film and video production company – still in business today - where he produced and directed hundreds of videos and TV spots. In 1990, he sold his company and focused solely on commercial and fine art photography.

Comments

Product No 5480867
Subjects & Tables, Charts, Charts & Tables, Décor, Education, Industry, Literature, Maps, Mottoes, Verses, and Texts
Style Classical
Medium
Tags Johnny, STUNNING, Stevens, abstract, and, art, beautiful, books, colorful, diaries, fine, focus, light, motion, old, organic, out, play, playful, print, shutter, slow, vintage