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Artist information:
Brian Whitfield
Lansing, MI
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Brian Whitfield is showing at:
Monroe Community Church Monroe Community Church
800 Monroe Ave NW
Suite 140
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
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Brian Whitfield
Artist bio: • 1984 Designed the Ingham County flag, Ingham County, MI
• 1991 The Basil H. Alkazzi Award (U.S.A.) A $5,000 Acquisition Award to an American Artist.
• 1992 35 Portraits - National Presidents & Executive Directors - Alpha Kappa Alpha
• 2006 Major contributor in the design of Michigan’s license plate
• 2006 AASHTO EXCEL Award - Print Publications - Illustration
• 1992 Alma College: Adjunct Instructor - Advanced Illustration
• 1993 Kalamazoo College: Painting I, II, III
• 1995 to Present Graphic artist - MDOT
• 1997, 1998, 1999 Visiting Critic: Alma College Senior Art Show Alma, MI.
• 1998 - 1999 Grant Panalist: Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, Arts Council of Greater Lansing - Mini-grants
• Education: • 1985 B.F.A. Kendall College of Art & Design - Grand Rapids, MI - Illustration
• 1991 M.F.A., The Maryland Institute College of Art - Hoffberger School of Painting, Baltimore, MD Director: Grace Hartigan/Archie Rand.
Artist statement: Over the years my style has grown out of the techniques I use as an illustrator and graphic artist. I prefer to work on multiple various sized canvas. Breaking up the image similar to Picasso's cubist art. I use the edge of the canvas to create interesting shapes and color contrast. Sometimes I try to fade the hard edge of the canvas and use spacial depth to create tention and visual excitement.
My approach combines painting and collage, simular to Romare Bearden's collage masterpieces. Images, styles and mediums mixed together to tell a story. I'm primarily a figurtive artist, but integrate abstract and abstract expressionist concepts into my work. Along with Picasso and Bearden, my main artistic influence are Diego Rivera, Wassily Kandinsky, Henri Matisse, Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol, just to name a few. I studied with Grace Hartigan, who came out of Abstract expressionism, a technique which had a major inflence on my craft.
About the work:
Title: Fall of the Dragon - The final Battle

Art form: 2-D

Medium: Mixed Media Construction Collage

Year created: Work not created yet

Description of work: As a kid I loved to draw cartoons. The art in comic books was my first inspiration as an artist. My proposal is to create a painting in the style of a modern day comic book. The theme being, temptation, power and Christ final victory over Satan. The painting will be created on multiple panels that stick-out at varying distances away from the wall.

The images shown of my work exemplify a few of the styles I use. The "Spiderman" painting is 17' wide by 7' tall. The painting of the woman's face ("Amani") is 5.5' tall by 5' wide. The other images are smaller in scale. I will add my entry to my Artprize page when it is ready.

Work statement:

Technical details:
Work width: 72 inches
Work height: 84 inches
Work depth: 35 inches
Required venue ceiling: n/a
Required venue door height: n/a
Required venue door width: n/a
Required wall linear footage: n/a
Required venue square footage: n/a
Additional considerations:
Audio/video needed: No
Electrical needed: No
Lighting needed: Yes
Internet access needed: No
Ground floor access needed: No
Indoor space needed: Yes
Outdoor space needed: No

Work Images

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