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Stephen Von Mason: Feral Fusion
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10377 |
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Section : |
THE ARTS
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2 / 1993 |
278 Words |
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My work ideals with the cultural identity and memory; it is expressive of my attempt to celebrate and glorify the beauty and high culture of the African diaspora." Says artist Stephen Von Mason. A native of South Bend, Indiana, Von Mason has forged a distinct style that blends elements of Western Modernism with African themes. In his work he grapples with issues that confront African Americans and strives to determine the best direction for the future. His dramatic, vivid colors and bold brushstrokes convey the strength of his convictions--his anger, his compassion, his celebration of all that is good.
"It is a real challenge to take a Western Modernist art education and couple it with an Afro-centrist view. It is the tallest order politically, psychologically, and culturally," he says. Although the European pioneers of Modernism found inspiration in African art, when artists of African descent use African motifs, he explains, their work is often seen as second-rate "folk art." But Von Mason has made a dynamic, very original fusion of the two traditions that points the way to a viable future for both.
Von Mason makes use of a variety of symbols, but one that occurs often is the ring. This can symbolize several things, he says. Depending on the subject of the painting. His rings can signify metamorphosis and transcendence--change from one condition to another. On the other hand, they also may symbolize containment or obstacles that must be overcome in order for genuine change to take place.
Von Mason now lives in Oakland, California, and has shown at several galleries in the area, most recently the Bomani Gallery in San Francisco. --The
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