THE FACE OF INSPIRATION – begins Nov 1

The Mayor's Gallery presents

SEAN KEATING


THE FACE OF INSPIRATION

Portraits of Artists, Writers and other Muses

A collection of paintings and drawings by multi-disciplined, award winning artist, Sean Keating.
November 1, 2012 – January 4, 2012. Reception: Thursday, November 15th from 5:30-7:30PM on the
10^th Floor of the Government Center, 888 Washington Blvd Stamford, CT. For more information please contact LM77@optonline.net

The arts have always played a major role in the life of Sean Keating. His childhood was spent in England while his father, actor Charles Keating, performed in a host of British stage and film productions. His mother, Mary, is a singer, songwriter and actress. As teenagers, Sean and his brother, Jamie, began a cottage pottery business and continued to pursue ceramics upon returning to the United States. Sean is also a musician and for over 30 years has played with a number of groups. He has appeared in various stage productions across the country and his directorial credits include "Othello" and "Romeo and Juliet" at the Riverside Shakespeare Company in New York.


Sean began painting 10 years ago. With no formal art education, he has studied privately and taken classes at Silvermine Arts Center with notable instructors such as Odd Nerdrum, Charles Reid, MaryBeth McKenzie and Jesus Emmanuel Villareal, to name a few. He is currently working in oils with Dean Fisher, Justin Wiest, and Will Nathans. His work has been included in numerous group shows and The Mayor's Gallery marks his 4^th solo exhibit. He is also a long time member of the Silvermine Guild in New Canaan.


"I'm most interested in painting people," says Keating of his choice in subject matter. "There is something vital and accessible to everyone in the human form. If there is truth in it, we immediately respond."


"Perhaps as a side-effect of our enthusiastic pursuit of individuality, it seems we are inclined to perceive our journey through life as solitary and unique, increasingly disconnected from our environment and the rest of humanity. I think it is the artist's task to illuminate the common truths of our existence, reminding us that the very same joys, fears, desires, tragedies, and hopes are shared by us all. My hope is that the viewer recognizes something of his own experience in my work. Ideally, he will take away some element that inspires him to renew his own search for the truth. The challenge for the artist is to look into a thing, divine its essence, reshape the familiar and present it so that we can look at the world with fresh eyes. The act of painting is part alchemy, part illusion, but most of all it is about looking…..with complete honesty and with all of our being."


Sean Keating resides in Wilton, CT and divides his time between a successful career as a landscaper and his passion for painting.