'Altered Perceptions' Art Exhibit by Sean Fitzgibbon
“Ceres” by Sean Fitzgibbon (48x24 acrylic on canvas)
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – An exhibit of multimedia pieces by Sean Fitzgibbon is on display in the lobby area of Mullins Library through the end of October.
Fitzgibbon lives in Fayetteville and teaches at NorthWest Arkansas Community College. He was born in Joplin, Mo., and grew up in Webb City, Mo. He studied art at Missouri Southern State University, the Joe Kubert School of Art in New Jersey, and the University of Arkansas where he received his Master of Fine Art in 2006. Fitzgibbon is currently exhibiting work on the east coast and throughout the Midwest. He has illustrated books and is currently illustrating a documentary style graphic novel that chronicles the Norman Baker years (1938-1939) of the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs.
Fitzgibbon incorporates various media in his work such as acrylic, color pencil, charcoal, ink, torn paper and other found objects to demonstrate the randomness of human consciousness. Through the meshing of various environments, eras, imagery and media, Fitzgibbon explores the interconnectivity of our diverse yet kindred existence.
According to the artist, wanderlust inspires much of his art as he finds himself appreciating the beauty of new surroundings. What begins as a compilation of drawings often manifests as a loose narrative that draws relationships between juxtaposed images.
The layering of images is a theme in Fitzgibbon’s work. He uses this method to illustrate the ever-changing landscape of life, the planet and the mind. Blurriness is used to illustrate faded memory and obscure thought. The inclusion of diagrams, letterforms and shapes represent discombobulated memories or future predictions. Images sometimes repeat throughout the work as reflections or echoes, and horizontal formats encourage the viewer’s eyes to move from left to right, much like a narrative or a timeline.
The passage of time is another significant theme in the artist’s work because he is intrigued by how chronology and space become disoriented in the unconscious mind. Human figures are often depicted as statues displaying lifelike qualities, expressions and emotions, and they frequently become the focus of his compositions. The lines between the living and inanimate, dreams and reality blur irrevocably, while the division between the physical self and the natural world recedes. Architectural structures allow viewers to gain a sense of time in the piece, which can be gauged by the architectural styles as well as levels of dilapidation. Old and new structures are juxtaposed to reinforce the relentless progression of time.
Contacts
Jennifer Rae Hartman, public relations coordinator
University Libraries
479-575-7311,
jrh022@uark.edu