Camouflage 6:15am
Oil on canvas
18″ x 72″
$17,000
2014
I’d like the viewer to develop a personal feeling of what my art is about, rather than explain to the observer what I am attempting to communicate about my paintings because that would surely spoil their jouney; That being said, I believe this article from A&L magazine says some of what my art is about:
“Robert Sean Coons’ oil paintings comment on the paradoxes that lie in the subliminal areas of the human mind: love and war; or beauty and obscenity. When approached head-on, the canvases appear to be simply paintings of WW II planes, Koi fish, or butterflies in repeated, motif style. When you move to one side, however, you see that erotic images actually lie underneath the seemingly straight forward frontal images: a nude woman, two women kissing, and so on. “The tough thing is, if the works successful; no one knows it is.” Coons’ says with a laugh.
Born and raised in Northern California, Coons received his BFA at The Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. and has had 4 one-man shows with Robert Berman Gallery. Among Robert’s prominent patrons is the legendary pop artist Ed Ruscha, who owns several Coons’ originals.
Coons explains his process in simple terms: I’m trying to hide something, so it should be taboo. If I’m hiding a puppy in the background, the question is why? But nudity or erotica in many places is still taboo. “I paint what turns me on, I love getting peoples reactions when they realize that there are nude women “hiding” in the background, the emotional reaction is what I want.”
1.Up and Coming Artists /A&L Magazine Winter 2009: By Alex Simon