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ArtSlant Profile
Artist
Bryan Proehl
The onion shed, 2005 , Charcoal, 20 x 26
Solitude, 2006, Charcoal, 20 x 26
A quiet moment, 2006, Charcoal, 20 x 26
Pillars of labor, 2005, Charcoal, 20 x 26
Dusk, 2006, Charcoal, 20 x 26
Exiled old fashion truck, 2005, Charcoal, 20 x 26
Portrait, 2006, Charcoal, 20 x 26
Reflections (1), 2005, Charcoal, 26 x 20
The caterpillar and the yellow brick road, 2006, Charcoal, 20 x 26
The spider, 2005, Charcoal, 20 x 26
Tractor resting amongst the weeds, 2005, Charcoal, 20 x 26
The harsh light of day, 2005, Charcoal, 26 x 20
Afternoon haze, 2006, Charcoal, 20 x 26
Balance between light and dark, 2006, Charcoal, 20 x 26
Daybreak, 2006, Charcoal, 20 x 26
Light peering through the pillars , 2006, Charcoal, 20 x 26
The sacrifice, 2006, Charcoal, 26 x 20
The elephant, 2006, Charcoal, 20 x 26
Tractor at a distance, 2006, Charcoal, 20 x 26
Shed overtaken by light, 2006, Charcoal, 20 x 26
Awaiting the dawn of a new day, 2006, Charcoal, 20 x 26
Dark reflections of the horizon, 2006, Charcoal, 20 x 26
Harsh shadows, 2006, Charcoal, 20 x 26
Reflections (2), 2005, Charcoal, 20 x 26
Silent shed, 2006, Charcoal, 20 x 26
Tractor and the onion pallets, 2006, Charcoal, 20 x 26
A classic pose, 2006, Charcoal, 20 x 26
Creatures in wait , 2005, Charcoal , 20 x 26
Shed overtaken by shadows, 2005, Charcoal , 20 x 26
Every artist has their own personal demons they must deal with, for me it has always been trying to duplicate the images exactly as I see them in my head down onto paper. It was years of struggling with an inner voice that would constantly belittle my efforts that held me back from completing pieces.
It wasn't until I had the opportunity to work on a farm in Hollister, California that I decided to scale back my ambitious endeavors in order to focus on a subject matter and truly explore it for what it was versus what I thought it should be.
Charcoal was my medium of choice because I could get the quickest results with it and control it with ease. I also found that a black and white palette would add a classic feel to these pieces assisting to create a somber mood which I was looking to express.
Artistically speaking landscape is the most common subject so it made sense that this should be my focal point to overcome any preconceived notions of what makes a serious art piece versus an ordinary picture. I began by taking photographs with a disposable black and white camera of the different subject matter around the farm (old barns, old fashion looking vehicles, the lay of the land, etc.). I took multiple shots of each subject during different times of the day as well as during the different seasons. Once developed I studied each photograph choosing the ones with the highest contrast between light and dark as well as the best composed shots for rendering.
As I began to finish piece after piece I noticed a consistent theme. Each had an object which was separate from the landscape it was placed in due to the lighting of the shot. This "spot light" effect seemed to isolate the subject from the rest of the picture creating a sense of loneliness.
After seeing this I began to take more photographs in an attempt to piece together the visual story of this farm. Overall I wanted to express a sense of isolation; the isolation of being confined within the borders of this land and having to identify with the dormant objects surrounding you.
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