The artist best known for his iconic paintings of Walmart and Consumer Brand Products exhibits his abstract work in Litchfield County.
There is no abstract art. You must always start with something. Afterward you can remove all traces of reality.
–Pablo Picasso
A significant collection of the Brendan O’Connell’s abstract paintings is currently being shown in Washington Depot at The Matthews Group. The exhibition opened on January 31st and will run through the end of May. It has been written about the artist that, “his interests vary widely between popular culture and mystical traditions.” The abstract work featured in this show also evokes emotions with a combination of bold palettes and strong composition.
Brendan O’Connell is best known for his paintings of iconic brands and the aisles of Walmart. O’Connell infuses these modern day environments with a magical quality that transforms both shoppers and products into art. His artistic interpretation of the superstore had some in the media crowning him the “Warhol of Walmart’. Though the concept and subject matter is similar, Warhol put a literal focus on the brand as is seen in print advertisements. O’Connell, on the other hand, infuses his paintings with human warmth paying tribute to everyman and daily life.
The background of the artist reads like one of the vignettes of a Moveable Feast. After graduating from Emory University, O’Connell moved to Paris to teach languages and write a novel about artists. Once there, he picked up a pencil and discovered that he had a natural affinity and talent for drawing and painting. Paris was an inspiration but he practiced his art in a most arduous way by drawing portraits and caricatures in front of Notre Dame.
He has been featured in the New Yorker, Time Magazine, The Boston Globe as well as his work being reviewed in Art in America. Brendan also appeared on the quintessential Pop American show, Comedy Central’s, ‘The Colbert Report’. O’Connell’s work is collected by celebrities such as Alec Baldwin and Darrell Crate, the former chairman of the Massachusetts Republican Party and in 2012 he was honored with a Rubin Foundation Award.
Brendan is also the principal artist who founded Everyartist, a non-profit event which strives to ‘spark creativity’ by promoting the visual arts among children. Everyartist coordinated the largest community art event in history with the launch of Everyartist Live! in 2013 and 2014.
We were able to catch up with the artist at the opening of his new show and to ask about his work and inspiration:
You make your home in Cornwall, what do you love most about Litchfield County?
Brendan: A lot of people come here for a bucolic respite from work. I am here because it is a great place to work and raise a family.
You are best known for your work that depicts iconic brands and also the environment within Walmart, do these abstract works have a special meaning for you?
Brendan: I’ve always been an abstract painter from the beginning. In the beginning I did abstract shows and I was a closeted figure painter, now it’s the reverse.
You started drawing and painting in Paris, did that city inspire you to be an artist?
Brendan: Paris is inspiring but what made it work for me was that it is a culture that takes leisure seriously, and finding something to be engaged in.
How did this exhibition come about?
Brendan: Pels and I both have coincidental history with Tucker, GA, where I grew up…His grandfather had the famous roadside dive Matthews’ cafeteria. (Pels Matthews is the co-founder of The Matthews Group.)
Who influenced you as an artist?
Brendan: This series in particular is most influenced by 50s French abstraction.
What are you working on now?
Brendan: Right now I am working on three things: Clorox, a portrait and an abstract commission for Emory University.
Pels Matthews, who curated the exhibit, is a keen art collector himself. “We are fascinated with this collection of abstract work by Brendan,” he enthused, “exhibiting these lesser known works by this talented artist continues our tradition of bringing unique art to the community.”
Presently Brendan works out of a barn in rural Connecticut where he lives with his wife, landscape painter Emily Buchanan, and their two children. To read more about the artist, visit: www.brendanoconnell.com
The exhibit at The Matthews Group is open Monday through Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm and on Sundays from 10 am to 4 pm. For information call 860-868-0511.
The Matthews Group
4 Green Hill Road
Washington Depot, CT 06794
860-868-0511
[email protected]
www.matthewsgroupre.com
