“Having never grown roots in any one location has heavily influenced my creative process. I’ve refused to maintain one distinct artistic style, allowing me the freedom to experiment and explore.”
A Journey Born from Turmoil: The Early Colors of Aaron Stansberry’s Art
Aaron Stansberry is an artist currently residing in Los Angeles, California, having migrated from the Pacific Northwest in his early twenties in pursuit of a culturally vibrant and diverse milieu. The nomadic nature of his upbringing, marked by nearly a hundred relocations, continued to echo through his adult life, profoundly impacting Stansberry’s creative ethos. This fluid lifestyle engendered a refusal within him to be tethered to a singular artistic style. His flexibility in artistic expression, fueled by an unyielding curiosity and an amalgam of diverse influences, reveals a compelling aversion to the mundane. The extensive sojourns and myriad adventures Stansberry embarked upon have enriched his collective memory, thereby furnishing a bountiful fount of inspiration for his artistic endeavors.
The inception of his artistic voyage can be traced back to the tumultuous landscape of his high school years, during which life presented him with challenges of an adult magnitude. The somber reality of his father’s relentless battle with pancreatic cancer, coupled with an unstable familial environment, rendered his teenage years an emotional maze. Amidst this tumult, Stansberry discovered a sanctuary in painting, a medium that served as a refuge from the tempests encircling his existence. Through the brush and canvas, he navigated the tempestuous waters of his youth, charting a course towards the esteemed artist he has become today.
Embracing The Unknown: Stansberry’s Voyage Towards Abstract Expression
Amidst the sorrow of losing his father shortly before graduating high school, the stark reminder of life’s fleeting nature propelled Aaron Stansberry onto a voyage of ceaseless discovery. The subsequent years saw him embracing a nomadic existence, drifting from one location to another, and enrolling in four distinct colleges before his journey led him to California. At the age of 28, life beckoned him to Tokyo, a chapter that elucidated the quintessential role of art in his existence. The fiscal limitations of Stansberry’s earlier years had initially dissuaded him from traversing the seemingly financially unyielding path of an artist. However, this resistance crumbled when he turned 30, as the allure of artistic expression became indefensible.
Stansberry’s artistic ethos doesn’t anchor to a particular style; albeit, abstract elements predominantly pervade his creations, epitomizing a vast array of themes such as self-expression, identity, memory, mortality, relationships, simplicity, and language. He resonates with Ed Moses’s characterization of himself as a “mutator,” favoring the boundless spectrum of creativity over the stifling norms of conventionality, a philosophy that fosters authenticity in his artistry. Through this lens, Stansberry unfurls his narrative, each piece a testament to the evolving tapestry of his artistic voyage.
Interweaving Language and Artistry in Stansberry’s Creations
Aaron Stansberry intertwines linguistic eloquence and artistic expression, exploring the depths of language’s profound and intricate beauty through his artistic endeavors. His canvases become a rich tapestry, intricately adorned with elements of calligraphy, numerical symbols, kanji characters, and various forms of written word. These textual elements converge with lyrics, poetry, literature excerpts, and Stansberry’s personal reflections, steadfastly maintaining the essence of language even as his works wander into abstract realms. The perennial echo of the written word within his art remains both potent and resonant, enduring through various layers of abstraction.
Stansberry’s atelier is more than a workspace; it is a sanctuary where freedom is not only present but thrives under the gentle caress of natural light. This light subtly highlights the textural richness of his canvases, while a methodical schedule, imbued with clear objectives, guides him, allowing harmony to act as a rhythmic ally against potential disruptions amidst his artistic journey.
When it comes to artistic influence, abstract expressionists like Rothko, de Kooning, Kline, and Motherwell have undeniably left a significant mark on Stansberry’s aesthetic beliefs. However, Cy Twombly emerges as a seminal figure, embodying the core of thematic and stylistic exploration for Stansberry. The bold, unfettered expression found in Twombly’s untitled “scribble” series from the mid-20th century resounds with Stansberry, its courageous articulation challenging and consequently reshaping his appreciation and discernment of artistic beauty.
Beyond The Canvas: Stansberry’s Quest for Socio-political Discourse Through Art
Aaron Stansberry doesn’t confine himself to a solitary medium. His palette unfolds across a diverse spectrum of media including oil, acrylic, ink, spray paint, cold wax, and watercolor, each meticulously chosen for its potential to lend a unique dimension to his artwork. Cold wax, a medium Stansberry discovered seven years ago, has ascended to a favored position, featuring in about 75% of his creations. This predilection symbolizes Stansberry’s enduring quest to explore novel mediums and examine their interplay.
Of late, Stansberry’s thoughts have been gravitating towards a project dedicated to portraying the escalating instances of crime, hatred, and socio-economic disparity he has witnessed. This narrative, a marked deviation from his oeuvre over the previous decade, intrigues rather than deters him, despite his usual reticence towards political discourse within his art. The unsettling surge in crime and civil unrest, juxtaposed with the apparent indifference towards addressing these issues, beckons a call to action. Possessing a profound perception of his duty as an artist, Stansberry aspires to ignite uncomfortable yet indispensable dialogues, with an ambition to serve as a catalyst for change in what appears to be a complacent society.
