the violence of my painting

 

It’s not the easiest process for me to try and explain the art I create or how a person should approach this work.  First off I probably will come across as a typical temperamental, self and all humanity hating stereotype artist, the likes of Hemingway, Pollock, Beethoven and Rothko.  However what I create is only ever truly appreciated if observed as intended.   For a time I compared the work I create to visual narrative poems.  They tell a story after all but unlike a novel or a film, they are more metaphorical and require more participation of the viewer.  These works are never finished until the viewer takes the time to think about them and find their own interpretation of the paintings context.  Art is like life, there is no single meaning, it’s up to the viewer to find the meaning within themselves.  Everyone’s meaning is personal.  Truth is though, these are not paintings, as to call them such people will look at them the way they have been looking at paintings their whole lives and misunderstand this work.  They are not films, novels or poems either.  They are something in between.

I paint mostly in collections, and to understand the art the viewer has to see the collection, and some collections in a particular order.  For example my collection “The Last Great Farce of Hope” revolved around the 19th century story of the American hopes and dreams to strike it rich in the gold mines out west, only to find most of the gold was already gone and life was much more cruel and brutal, especially for the Native American, Chinese and Mexican population.  However this collection was an allegory for the acclimation of childhood innocence into the harsh reality of life and the world, in many cases the result of a traumatic event.  The paintings within a collection often interact with one another.  Think of them as a puzzle, a detail in one painting may answer a question within another. 

I want people to look deep into the art.  To stand and stare into the imagery, the brushstrokes, the pigment, like into an abyss, into a mystery.  Take their time and enjoy the paintings.  Contemplate the world, life, the society and culture they live in…themselves.  These are images for inciting conversation, arousing questions and evoking the viewer’s imagination.  They are both the comedy and tragedy of civilization.  The work I paint is a funhouse mirror reflecting mankind back upon itself, for I simply observe the satire we live in and bend it into questions.   Which is why I am not afraid to paint the profound flaws and complex attributes and emotions of the human condition.  The art is greatly influenced by and layered with the psyche, social psychology, philosophy and the exploration of good and evil, as well as the struggle to understand the ever changing mores of society.  Therefore the work is often considered dark and violent.

I’ve been told people do not like paintings of violence, rape and sexual desires, but if this is true then why do so many people engage in these acts?  Why does violence and fornication seem to overwhelm society?  Why are the highest rated newscast the ones focused on “breaking news” of horrible acts committed by humans on other humans?  I don’t believe it’s the acts themselves that disgust us, but rather it’s that deep down we all secretly enjoy and take pleasure in these things.  That is what really scares us.  The mere fact we are still and always will be animals, beasts, despite how much we try to hide this actuality from ourselves.  The truth is, it’s the self we despise the most.

 Aside from igniting contemplation on what is wrong with ourselves, I paint the complicated and raw side of humanity and life, in hopes of reminding everyone of two things.  First, there is no perfection, no utopia, and the good is always accompanied by the bad.  And second, since we never know what tomorrow will bring, to appreciate the little things in life.  The little moments such as being with friends and family, sitting back to enjoy a beautiful sunrise, gazing at the stars with a loved one.  The moments people tend to take for granted and overlook as they search for material objects or exotic vacations, taking pictures with their phones of art, instead of actually enjoying the art before them, just to post their masquerade of an exciting life on social media to impress friends or become insta-famous.

For me, painting is not only about telling stories, both inspired by my own experiences and others, but about the expression of the story and emotion through the paint itself.  I want people to look not only at the iconography but to feel the art by connecting to the brush strokes.  Like Jimi Hendrix with his guitar or the voice of Maria Callas, the action of painting is a moment of passion captured in the studio.  The thick aggressive strokes may provoke the anger or chaos within, as the softer touch of the brush whispers serenity and hope.  As a painter it is important to me that people see and appreciate the style, the brushwork, and the artistry in the handling and movement of the brush and pigment. 

 The paintings  need to challenge both myself and the viewer.  I could paint appealing color combinations and symmetrical compositions to please the eye every time, but that would be too easy.  I keep in mind the themes and ideas I wish to arouse with every collection and individual painting when working on them, so that they acquire their own character.  Character births life, and these works must have life…a soul.  They must live beyond mine or any person’s possession.  They must become an eternal spirit, to which they may live their own lives long after I am gone, for generation after generation to come.  Subsequently there is no my painting, for the art will exist with or without me.

I belong to the art.

Meeting Edward Shiva

“Meeting Edward Shiva” (The Last Great Farce of Hope) 2017, oil on board, ©Justin Sonny Eagles

 

JustinSonnyEagles.com

The Oppressed

“The Oppressed” (The Last Great Farce of Hope) oil on board, 2017, ©Justin Sonny Eagles

JustinSonnyEagles.com

What a Hangover!

“What a Hangover!” (The Last Great Farce of Hope) oil on board, 2017, ©Justin Sonny Eagles

JustinSonnyEagles.com

Badass Bitches with Guns

“Badass Bitches with Guns” (The Last Great Farce of Hope)  2017, oil on board,  ©Justin Sonny Eagles

JustinSonnyEagles.com

The Conductor of Your Journey

“The Conductor of Your Journey” (the Last Great Farce of Hope) 2017, oil on board ©Justin Sonny Eagles

JustinSonnyEagles.com

Sea of Dreams

“Sea of Dreams”  (the Last Great Farce of Hope) 2017, oil on board  ©Justin Sonny Eagles

justinsonnyeagles.com

The Authority

“The Authority” oil on board, 2017, ©Justin Sonny Eagles

Goodbye Horses Release

Goodbye Horses

On Friday, September 22nd, 2017, from 9:00pm to 11:00pm, Justin Sonny Eagles will premiere his newest oil painting collection the Last Great Farce of Hope at the Loft Collective  12 S 25th St, Colorado Springs, Colorado, at the Goodbye Horses art premiere party.  After exhibiting in New York and Denver this will be the first time in seven years Eagles will showcase his art back in the area he grew up in and will be the fourth self produced show Eagles has done under his Little Wee Wee productions.

Unlike the conventional art exhibit, guests will have to approach these paintings a little differently, as they follow a particular sequence.  The collection follows the journey of individuals coming to America and then out west to achieve their dreams of hope during the gold rush of the 19th century, only for many life in the old west was not as pretty as they imagined.  The paintings are layered with numerous patterns, questions and ideas, such as several visual clues hinting the paintings are really about the experience of life growing from how one sees the world as a child to the reality of adulthood often be hard and even cruel.  Then there is a painting titled The Oppressed, which may implicate the entire collection is about rape and/or child molestation, the innocence of childhood and life destroyed in one moment of horror.

Here is the image of a woman who appears to be a working girl in a run down brothel, but unlike the common Hollywood wild west call girl, this is a grueling reminder of the realty of not only prostitution of the era, but the even greater ratio of sex slavery still currently in existence.  The viewer looks at a prostitute through a decrepit window, she looks back.  She tries to hide her face with a fan, but her eyes compel her fear and desperation.  She does not want to be there, but she cannot leave.  If her dreaded glare wasn’t enough, the decaying wood siding of the building enclosing her seems to scream in place of her vocal silence.  The thick paint of Eagles’ brushstrokes expresses the pain and brings it to life, while the broken spaces between wood slats substitute deep wounds. Eagles filled these scarred spaces with reds and muddy whites, yellows, and greens to represent blood, semen and feces, the stained colors of rape and sodomy.  Off to the side a bottle, which is a reoccurring prop in this collection, sits on the window sill.  The bottle’s neck is molded into a hawk talon with it’s claws gripping the body tightly, a sure metaphor for the young woman who is trapped in her brutal dismay.

Guests are encouraged to search the paintings for their own interpretation and meaning as they are welcomed with an root beer float martini, some of Eagles homemade cookies, and even his mother’s homemade pumpkin bread,—all made from quality ingredients.  There will be a poker table, nerf guns for high noon draw duels, and a foos ball table for entertainment. Signed limited edition metallic prints of Eagles’ paintings will also be available.

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The Last Great Farce of Hope

The Last Great Farce of Hope is the latest collection of paintings oil painter Justin Sonny Eagles will release in the fall of 2017.  Unlike the conventional exhibit of paintings, this collection is meant to be seen in a particular sequence.  The paintings follow the story of men and women who came to America in the 19th century to escape imperial Europe and better their lives.  Risking everything, they then trekked west across the states, in hopes of striking it rich in the gold mines.  For many though, life in the old west was not as easy as they dreamed it, which seems to be the underlying theme in this collection.

Like many of Eagles’ paintings, the Last Farce is layered with numerous ideas and questions, as well as hidden symbols and patterns, so one has to search for clues deep within.  For example, a viewer could wonder are the paintings the story of the old west experience or the growing pains of childhood dreams into adulthood reality?  Several of the paintings are done with direct references to children, the sloppy coloring on a soldiers epaulette, the silhouette of a ship in a bottle like something out of Peter Pan and the body of a train conductor in the simplistic shape of a child’s drawing.   Most of the paintings seem to be colorful, light hearted, even comical, except one entitled “the Oppressed”.

Here is the image of a woman who appears to be a working girl in a run down brothel, but unlike the common Hollywood wild west call girl, this is a grueling reminder of the realty of not only prostitution of the era, but the even greater ratio of sex slavery still currently in existence.  The viewer looks at a prostitute through a decrepit window, she looks back.  She tries to hide her face with a fan, but her eyes compel her fear and desperation.  She does not want to be there, but she cannot leave.  If her dreaded glare wasn’t enough, the decaying wood siding of the building enclosing her seems to scream in place of her vocal silence.  The thick paint of Eagles’ brushstrokes expresses the pain and brings it to life, while the broken spaces between wood slats substitute deep wounds. Eagles filled these scarred spaces with reds and muddy whites, yellows, and greens to represent blood, semen and feces, the stained colors of rape and sodomy.  Off to the side a bottle, which is a reoccurring prop in this collection, sits on the window sill.  The bottle’s neck is molded into a hawk talon with it’s claws gripping the body tightly, a sure metaphor for the young woman who is trapped in her brutal dismay.

To bring this horrifying image about, Eagles recorded and listened to the sounds of power tools such as a circular saw and a router, to create an endless agonizing mindset and didn’t eat everyday he worked on it, so the hunger pains would replicate the stomach turning terror of a victim of rape.  This painting presents the question is the entire collection actually the story of rape and/or child molestation, the purity and innocence of childhood and life being stolen by another, in a moment of unforgivable betrayal?  

Where the Oppressed takes a sharp curve into a deeper and darker side road, it does not completely dilute The Last Great Farce with melancholy.  There are two paintings which seem to be connected in expressing a path of hope for the future, “The Conductor of your journey” and “Meeting Edward Shiva.”  In both, the subject’s face is of the same individual, and although their bodies are different, they stand in the same position, only reversed like the porch supporting them, checking their watches and you the viewer’s time.  In The Conductor a train appears to be coming, as if the adventure is beginning, and in Edward Shiva a wagon is leaving, heading off into a soft glow of light.  Here it is suggested through a couple of clues that the apparent character of Edward Shiva is an undertaker or death in human form.  First theres the bottle in the lower left corner of the painting that has a skull and crossbones on it, and then theres his name Shiva, which in Judaism is a week long mourning period for close relatives and in Hinduism is a deity, Shiva the destroyer.  However Shiva destroys for the sole purpose of rebirth, and the character in this painting seems to be doing the same.  His face slightly smiles and the warm glow in the distance may just be a better tomorrow.  As with all Eagles’ art, this collection is open to interpretation.   Although it may not be known what Eagles’ concept was for certain, it is not what he created with his imagination that matters, but what the viewer creates with theirs.

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Children see the world as brand new, full of magic, hope and endless possibilities.  Everyone should see the world this way, but unfortunately over the years we are slowly broken down, enslaved and left searching to break free and float away.

-JSE

the gift

the Gift

& the struggle it creates within.

    The gift; here I sit quietly in my studio, contemplating this; the gift. It was the gift I felt pulsating my body’s great Nile. The gift that fueled the gears of my thoughts, of my dreams. It was the gift that respired life into my soulless cage and drowned me in oil. Not the blackened blood of Mother mind you, but the colored waves of pigment that have long since become an extension of my being, expressed onto surface for others to gaze into; the gift.

    Yet here I sit, quietly in my studio, lost, trying to fathom an institution that has no tolerance for a man such as I. Here and now, I am a berserker discarded by his own community after the assimilation of Christianity among Scandinavian tribes. Son of a Brooklyn Bastard, child of heathen war hungry brutes, with no minds, or at least that’s how the children of three piecers tend to imagine our class. The nonconformist, or those who form to the appearance of the current nonconformist, gather in hip bars and cafes and ridicule my sort, judging and undermining us as ruff-necks, rednecks, and boorish imbeciles. Perhaps they are correct in their assumption, or perhaps we were merely less fortunate than those granted to be born and refined with a cultural and intellectual acumen. Perhaps our minds tire from the sweat, the calluses, the damp, the scars, the cold, the pain, the frustration, the hunger, the weight. Our shoulders starting to fall forward, our will stamped with the notion “If it ain’t one thing its another” and our psyche embedded with the conclusion “we always get the shit-end of the stick”. Does this make us simple-minded? Grant any being an opportunity to develop a notion of the abstract, of the exquisite and you will find men and women of all economic stature equal to one another.

    Despite my gray boot upbringing, I am entrusted a gift, one suffocating in the casket of “fine art”. The current aspect of the fine art network is that of a famished centipede devouring its own body, a vast perpetual hole. It would be unjust to accuse the artist for implementing this hole. As it would be unjust to accuse the gallery, or the collector, or the advisor, or the critic, for they all have their hands clamped tightly upon the shovel and take part in the digging equally. The gallery is the window to the artist and their work. The collector is the bloodline of the gallery’s endurance. The Advisor is the whisper of the collector’s understanding. The critic is the palate of the advisor. However the critic may only relinquish an impression of the artist who is seen through the window of the gallery. They are all cemented into an echo-chamber, or what we dim-witted street type simply refer to as a circle jerk.

    To make matters worse they raise the opinion of themselves within themselves, convincing one another that the art before them is of greater insight and they are of superior intellect to interpret such symbolism, while discrediting everyone and anyone as deplorable and irrelevant who does not concur with this assessment and who may think nonsense of this art. As a result of these matters, a multitude of today’s painting only embodies a branch off the tree of interior design. The notable art critic Jerry Saltz wrote, ”This work is decorator-friendly, especially in a contemporary apartment or house. It feel’s “cerebral” and looks hip in ways that flatter collectors even as it offers no insight into anything at all.”

     When the prowess succumbs, and the subjective have sealed their doors, the remaining evaporate into desperation. Humble is the present-day artist’s alias, for if a lone artist alters the name to confident, his own peers will disfigure him arrogant. Humble also births new carnivores ripe for feasting. First; the juried show, in which galleries institute submission fees upon the humble. If galleries were sincerely in pursuit of the finest and the innovated, would compensation per submission be necessary? (Which arouses the question why no gallery of any merit employ talent scouts like sports teams to hunt and seek out unique individuals to represent their gallery? They merely prefer on being immensely concerned amidst representing the humble. It would appear art is more business than artistry in this age.) Second of these beast of prey; the one nighter scene. A show that divulges a stimulating and entertaining night of numerous visual artists, music, and liquor. However this venue will charge the humble per each painting, compact art on walls like canned sardines, charge the guest on entry and again on libation, and with dawn’s new warmth have acted as no more than a placebo for the humbled.  

    The humble artist is expected to hand over a subsidy, as if the calling nature of progress blankets only the gallery, the venue from risk. Gratuity is common practice among bands, comedians and other sorts of entertainment, but therein lies the key word-entertainment. This very word is diabolical to an ar-teest, and is considered blasphemous. However the very pride which neglects the unholiest of words, gives rise to the very play in which the humble is subjected to self-inflicted slavery. If art occupies the rationalization of a being for a period of seconds to minutes, is that not a quality of entertainment?

    And so here I sit quietly in my studio, perplexed. I am confronted by a barricade of myopia and blank stares as I advocate my reasons for producing my own shows, for pursuing direction over my own creativity and for discontinuing the prostituting of my paintings…the gift. The gift I do not hope for only the eyes of private collectors and their exclusive fraternity of acquaintances to adore. The gift I hope to bestow upon all the world to appreciate. It is the gift I hope to share with you.

Looking into Tomorrow

“Looking into Tomorrow” ( 1603 Behind the Clownface) oil on board  ©JustinSonnyEagles 

Ghosts

“Ghosts” (Behind the Clownface) 1605 oil on board, 2016

Asa Nisi Masa

“Asa Nisi Masa” (1604 behind the clownface) oil on board ©Justin Sonny Eagles 

What is Real?

“What is Real” (Behind the Clownface 1602) oil on board 2016 ©Justin Sonny Eagles

Demon

“Demon” (1606 behind the clownface) oil on board 

What Now?

“What Now?” (1601 Behind the Clownface) oil on board 

Painting for No sale!

 I have decided that I will no longer sell my original paintings. How can art be for sale? Can you buy the sunrise? One of the dilemmas with art today is that there is commerce involved. Artists rely on galleries to show their work, in turn the gallery needs to make money to keep it’s doors open, and so it leans on the commission of art sales. Unfortunately this need of revenue for survival has forged a great haste in the composing of art. I have met many artists who are racing to develop new work in order to make the deadline of their next show. The creating of art Cannot and should Never be pushed or forced. Just as one cannot make a truly great bottle of wine or scotch in a day, it requires time and patience. But this business of art has spawned the evolution of painting with no purpose, no depth, and no substance. Paintings of this generation have been reduced to decorative and commercial. The artist today creates quantity, not quality. Art has become a product. Money does not belong in the creative equation. My art, like the sunrise, belongs to no man. My art doesn’t even belong to me, it is for the people. People of all class, of all income, of all color, religion, and nationality. My purpose is to share my art with as many people as possible. And this is why in my heart, I truly believe it is the right decision to stop selling my original paintings.

Who the F*ck is Justin Sonny Eagles

 

On Saturday, August 6th, 2016, from 9:30pm to 11:30pm, Justin Sonny Eagles will premiere his newest oil painting collection Behind the Clownface at the Bakery Arts Warehouse, 2132 Market Street, in Denver, Colorado.  Titled Who the F*ck is Justin Sonny Eagles, the event is described as an art party, not an opening or an exhibit.

The paintings engage the audience with the struggle and absurdity of life as an artist; not just his financial struggles but also tackling the balance between the creative process and everyday life.  The collection aims to follow artists (painters, filmmakers, writers, actors, musicians) as they submerge themselves in their work, often breaking lucidity and straining relationships with loved ones.  Eagles adopted an idea similar to method acting in order to bring authenticity to these new paintings.

“If brushwork gives a painting it’s character, and brushwork is a reflection of the artist himself and their state of being, then my theory is that the artist needs to be in the same emotional state as the story of the painting.” For extended periods Eagles slept two-three hours a night and ate minimally in order to open the doors to a dream-like state…and then began painting. One could say in order to tell the visual story desired in Behind the Clownface the artist took every step to crack his own sanity.

Guests of the premiere party are welcomed with an almond martini, some of Eagles’ infamous homemade cookies, and selected tapas,—all made from quality ingredients.  Prints of Eagles’ paintings will be available, but the evening will mark the first since Eagles has officially stopped the sale of his original artworks.  “Art is an extension of the artist, not a product.  I do not want my paintings to be bought just to hang in a private collection only for the eyes of a select few.  I hope for everyone to have an opportunity to see my work in person.”

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Release:Behind the Clownface

Asa Nisi Masa, 2016, oil on board, 32″ x 24″

 

Behind the Clownface

Justin Sonny Eagles

Behind the Clownface is the newest collection of paintings by oil painter Justin Sonny Eagles. The paintings engage the audience with the struggle and absurdity of life as a artist; not just his financial struggles but also tackling the balance between the creative process and everyday life.

Eagles adopted an idea similar to method acting in order to bring authenticity to these new paintings. “If brushwork gives a painting it’s character, and brushwork is a reflection of the artist himself and their state of being, then my theory is that the artist needs to be in the same emotional state as story of the painting.” For extended periods Eagles slept two-three hours a night and ate minimally to open the doors to a dream-like state and then began painting…one could say in order to tell the visual story desired in Behind the Clownface the artist took every step to crack his own sanity.

The emotional struggle in Ghosts and What Now highlight the solitude of an artist and the resulting obsession that strains his relationships with his close loved ones. In Demon more aggressive brushstrokes convey the anger, aggravation, and frustrations of an artist trying to live as a “true artist in a modern world where cultural fascination with plastic imagery, creating controversy, and making money come first.”

The effects of sleep depravation and how far one is willing to go to create art are felt in What is Real and Asa Nisi Mas. Asa Nisi Masa particularly explores the artist living against the everyday social patterns around him as he stands apart from every other element within the painting: his captured manic eyes, crazed hands composing a solo-delusional orchestra, direction opposed to the crowd behind him. Despite the subject remaining black and white, Eagles distinguishes him by using different tones than the rest of the composition.

Behind the Clownface may be a personal story of life as an artist but it especially aims to tell the story of life as a human being. The collection is an attempt to help the non-artist see past the assumptions of how all artists (painters, filmmakers, writers, actors, musicians) live and work. Behind the mask this artist holds up to face the world is the embodiment of life’s struggle which we can all relate to.

Behind the Clownface collection release: August 2016.

For more Justin Sonny Eagles visit the artists website at http://www.justinsonnyeagles.com