Stefan Duncan_______________________________
Living Spirit Art
Inspired by Van Gogh, a new style emerges that continues what was started - the revealing of the Divine through nature.
Becoming one of America's favorite
Artist
Winner of Best Art in 2006 Eisteddfod Competition
Gallery at Charlotte Art League in Charlotte. Exhibits at Cape Fear Studios, Fayetteville, N.C. March, 2006, Art House, Charlotte, N.C. May 2006/ Mooresville Art Gallery, NC June 2006/ Ole Town Gallery in Fayetteville, Sept.2006/Hot Saka, Nov. 2006 Metrolina Expo in Charlotte on the first weekend of each month.
Carolina Metrolina Expo in Charlotte. April first weekend big show.
Stefan Duncan creates what he calls "Living Spirit Art." Van Gogh opened Duncan's eyes to the Divine in nature. He has emerged with his own style he calls Squigglism. He paints with a mission, to bring the Divine in the heart of people's homes. The Van Gogh Gallery will be presenting several of Stefan's paintings as an artist of today carrying the torch of Van Gogh but with his own unique style.
Stefan, who has dedicated his life to the study of the master impressionists, such as Van Gogh, Monet, Seurat, Klimt, Cezzane and Pissarro, is forging his own style called Squigglism - Living Spirit Art. It is a "Van Gogh dash with a twist," a new style, that seeks to unveil nature's jubilation that the Divine lives in all that exists. It is the opening of the eyes to see the Divine Essence not only in nature around us, but in us, connecting us with all. Van Gogh's strokes are short dashes like a quick piano note. Duncan's strokes are longer and swirl or waver like a sustained piano note. Where the quick dash sometimes interpreted as haste, even anger, some even say madness or drug inspired, or a feeling of helplessness and desolation....the long stroke emits a sense of serenity and peace. They are like lullaby fractals (those things that repeat themselves in nature). There is a scene in the movie Phenomena when John Travolta watches a large tree swaying in a silent universal dance. It rocked like a cradle and made you feel as though you were a child again sitting on your mother's lap being rocked.
It was Van Gogh that helped us glimpse the Divine's universal forces as in Starry Night. It is Duncan who seeks to reveal the Divine even more through his work.
The Van Gogh Gallery will be showing several of Duncan's works as an artist of today who Van Gogh has had an impact. "I want Squigglism known as an unique style where my work would be different from anyone else. Like no two snowflakes are alike, neither are artists that express themselves truly. When it comes to Van Gogh, his work opened my eyes to the Divine in nature. His life is known as one of the most tragic to have lived in a state of poverty, only selling one painting during his life, and yet after death become one of the greatest artists we'll ever have. I've read all of his 1,000 plus letters to his brother, read countless books on his life such as Lust for Life by Irving Stone, viewed his paintings inches from my nose, thoroughly studied David Brook's Vincent van Gogh: The Complete Works. From across the States and to Europe I go to study Van Gogh's works. I simply love his work and I think of all the serenity and beauty he has given us just with Starry Night is one of the greatest gifts a man has given to humanity. It is my respect for the man, his striving to reach the Divine in his work, the lonely suffering he encountered during his life, that I hope in my own way I can carry on his light to continue what he had started. He brought me to the path and I am forging ahead with my own style.
"I know there are a million other artists in the world that are masters each with their own skills and gifts. For me, I just know what I feel in my heart. Those that know me and my work, many artists, art professors, gallery owners, the public (like in their statements in my guest book.... say they love my work and they "get" what I am trying to do. But what is important to me, my mission, is to put a painting in families' living rooms, right in the middle of the lives. When they are worried about what to cook, being late for work, paying the light bill, changing the diapers, they walk pass my painting and consciously or unconsciously they glimpse of serenity and are reminded of where they have come from and where they will go after this life as Wordsworth so elegantly has stated through his poetry.
"Each of us carry that so fragile spark of light that will be wisped away one day. It should be the hope of all of us, I know it is mine, to give something back to humanity before we depart this world. That while we are here we glorify the Divine so that others may see. This is my mission and passion. It is why I paint 12 plus hours a day and teach five classes a week at different locations. I paint from my heart to glorify the Divine. So like in any art form there will be those that criticize and roll their eyes at one's works. But, I am rewarded everyday of my life when a stranger comes up to me and views my paintings and "feels' serenity, the jubilation, and sees the Divine as it lives in nature. My paintings are selling as fast as I can make them. I'm not saying I'm a good artist or bad, I just know I paint from my heart. I paint from the truth that I feel. I paint with a mission with the best of my ability with the talent the Divine has given me. That is all I know. That is all I do. Any success I've achieved thus far and will achieve I take this as the reward from the Divine that I may carry even further my mission to us that live now and those of the future. Regardless of any of this said, it is the art that speaks for itself. If a work is good, it stands on its own. No lofty ego-centric speech filled with illusions of grandeur by an artist will make his work good. It should shine on its own." Stefan Duncan, Nov. 13, 2005
http://eurogallery.aic-club.com
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