Artist of the Month April 2013

Kevin Mann

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I moved to Philadelphia from the rural suburbs of Harrisburg Pennsylvania to pursue a B.F.A at Tyler school of Art. I am interested in gestures, energy, and marking making. I use various printmaking techniques to explore marks created through repeated actions.

How and when did you start creating art?

I was never interested in art as a young kid but during high school I took an art class and became obsessed.

What media and genres do you work in?

I combine printmaking techniques with drawing and painting. My recent work has been primarily focused in an abstract expressionist style, but I have explored representational abstraction as well.

Who or what are your influences?

As far as who inspires me, I love the 1950's abstract expressionists Clifford Stills and Franz Kline. I draw a lot of inspiration from the subcultures created by punk and hardcore music and the energy the music creates. I draw more from the feeling of these genres instead of trying to directly depict a certain person or event.

What was your inspiration for Untitled 22"x30?

"Untitled 22"x30"," came from the larger body of work entitled: "Splash Prints". It was an exploration of reversing and enlarging a small drawing of a single splash and printing that over different colorful gestural splash drawings. While the use of computers doesn't usually play a large role in my work, in the "Splash Prints" series it was necessary to use a computer to reverse the splash image as well a enlarge it. In this particular piece I also created a bitmap from the splash to make technology a more visible element in the image.

Describe your creative process?

I work on multiple drawings at once, each in various stages of completion. Because of my small studio these sheets often occupy the same space at once and puddles of ink and paint flow across them to spontaneously create imagery. I then add elements of printmaking such as serigraphy and mono printing. Bold marks cover many of my finished drawings, blocking out all but a small area which functions like a window.

What are you working on currently?

I am currently working on un-stretched canvas pieces where I am exploring dying as a mark making technique. I am interested in using fabric for its durability and the ability to screen print on it and as a canvas for functional objects.

What are your near/long term goals as an artist?

I recently received my B.F.A. in Printmaking and am transitioning out of the educational setting into a private studio as well as participating in a small community print studio. I want to attend grad school in the near future and in the meantime I would like to continue making and showing my work.

Where can people view/purchase your work (gallery, website, etc)?

Many of my pieces can be viewed on my website, http://www.cargocollective.com/kevinmann. Contact information can be found there.