Beau Stanton Sets Sail on a Precarious Voyage

1xRUN Thru Interview
Precarious Voyage by Beau Stanton
 
1xRun: Tell us a bit about this piece, is there an original or was it created specifically for this print?
Beau Stanton:  The original is a 24 x 36 inch painting that I created for the Corey Helford Gallery booth at SCOPE Miami Beach last year.

1xRun: When was this piece created and with what materials?
Beau Stanton: It was created over the course of about a week in November of 2013 using oil and acrylic paint on wood.

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1xRun: Tell us how the idea and execution came about?    
Beau Stanton:   The ship depicted in the painting is an amalgamation of a few different vessels that I photographed while exploring an abandoned shipyard in Staten Island.  I really liked the colors and strange loneliness of the ships.

In the painting, the waves of the sea are made up of the ornamental patterns that I like to use in my work that is meant to give a restless feel to the painting.  The eye’s of providence are seen in the sky like the phases of the moon depicting transition and change.

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I started the painting by priming the wood panel with different colored layers of acrylic paint then sanding it to create a varied texture.  Next I drafted out the patterns with a compass and ink.  The rest of the process was rendered with several layers of oil paint.

1xRun: What is unique about this piece compared with some of your other work?     
Beau Stanton:   I’ve painted ships before but this is the most elaborate example of the rusty boat, eye of providence combo.

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1xRun: Why should people buy this print?    
Beau Stanton:  It will make you feel like you’re out at sea.

1xRun: Describe this piece in one gut reaction word.     
Beau Stanton: Illusionary.

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1xRun: It’s always been a little bit of a theme in your work, but you mentioned that lately you seem to have had this fascination with nautical life, where did that stem from?
Beau Stanton:  I have always had a fascination with the sea and ships, particularly derelict or rusty old ones.  The rich history of nautical painting mixed with the deep symbolic significance of sea faring vessels makes for a combination that I can’t resist.

1xRun: Why do you feel that it’s been making appearances as of late?
Beau Stanton:  It’s summer time and I must really want to go out to sea so that could be subconsciously making its way into the work.

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1xRun: Any recent shows or murals that you did recently that you’d like to touch on?
Beau Stanton:  My last solo exhibition was at Corey Helford Gallery in Culver City this past April.  While in Los Angeles I painted a mural Downtown at 7th and Mateo.

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This past month I created a site specific installation at Succulent Studios in Greenpoint, Brooklyn where I constructed a ship emerging from the wall and floor using salvaged wood and hardware along with an edition of maritime signal flag prints that spelled out messages from the rigging and one of my animations displayed through one of the porthole windows.

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More recently I painted a mural in the stairwell and entrance to Morgan Spurlock’s Warrior Poets office in NOLITA in Manhattan.

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I also created my largest mural to date in my neighborhood, Red Hook, Brooklyn.

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My most recent mural was created for NXNE (North by North East) Music and Art Festival in Toronto.

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1xRun: Any other big plans for the rest of the summer?
Beau Stanton:  Right now I’m in Nantucket creating the second Message in a Bottle installation at Cavalier Gallery curated by Lori Zimmer.  The installation takes up a small alcove of the gallery and incorporates the work of 20+ artists who interpret the romantic idea of blinding tossing a message out to sea.  I designed and built what is meant to simulate the belly of a ship by paneling the walls with stained wood, shelves, pulleys, ropes, and other old junk and working in the painted bottles, sculptures, paintings, and other art objects that make up the eclectic exhibition.  I have several individual pieces in the show including two oil paintings, two animated paintings, and about a dozen antique bottles that I will be painting on daily in the space.

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In September I leave for a six week long trip to the UK where I will be working to create an installation of stained glass windows and projected animations inside of a 14th Century crypt in Bristol, England.  After that I have a solo exhibition at StolenSpace Gallery in London opening October 9th.

1xRUN: Where else can people find you?
Beau Stanton: WebsiteFacebookInstagramTwitterTumblr

-1xRUN