Sean Mahan – “Imagine A Sound” @ Antler Gallery [Portland, Or]

Sean Mahan‘s bio describes him as “a post-illustrative figurative painter who works with graphite/acrylic on wood to depict a sense of wonder about innate human sweetness.” After attending art school for illustration in the ‘90s, Mahan began painting illustrative fine-art paintings, which led to many of them becoming record covers for post-hardcore, emo, and various other kinds of punk bands around the state of Florida and beyond. These endeavors overlapped with his 15-year stint working as a commercial muralist, which he’s stated “really helped [him] learn how to work with latex/acrylic paint.” Later this week, that skill set will be on full-display during a brand new solo exhibition at Antler Gallery in Portland, Oregon.Sean‘s work centers around an unapologetically vintage aesthetic, drawing from classic mid-century American visual references. It often contains characters interacting with technology of the day from sewing machines to transistor radios. The color palette is generally plucked from the same era featuring colors like robin’s egg blue and chartreuse that are strongly associated with mid-century modern design. So many of his pieces look as if they could have been peeled off an old board game or Easy-Bake Oven box.

In his latest collection of work, Imagine A Sound, Mahan has chosen to focus on still objects themselves, eliminating any figures – beyond the stray butterfly or bird – to interact with them. This decision not only highlights the undeniable beauty of the retro-futuristic design behind an old Oscilloscope or Ampex reel-to-reel, but showcases how adept the painter has become at rendering textures from shiny chrome and plastic nobs to transparent glass bowls or the matte naugahyde finish on the side of a Califone portable record player. The lines are sharp and clean with the reflections and shadows providing dimension and depth. They almost feel like collages, in a sense. By allowing the natural woodgrain to bleed through, it adds another layer to the work, while demonstrating how adept the artist is at his craft to be able to fully conceal it in the areas of his choosing. 

Imagine A Sound will open at Antler Gallery on Thursday, April 25th.

Check out preview images for the exhibition below the following event details…

WHAT:

Imagine A Sound
Solo Exhibition by Sean Mahan

WHEN:

Opening:
Thursday, April 25th 2024
6pm

WHERE:

ANTLER GALLERY
42714 NE Alberta Street
Portland Oregon, 97211
(503) 284-6757

ADDITIONAL INFO:

Opening is ALL AGES w/NO COVER
Artist will be in attendance
Gallery hours: Friday – Sunday noon – 4pm