Voices That Need to Be Heard
Stephen Gary Fights Back With His Art
By Lara Karuna
(picture above is entitled: "What's
Money Got to do with
Patriotism?" oil on aluminum with wood
and fiberglass.....11 ft. x 3 ft.)
In the land of ubiquitous corporate
sponsorships, non-stop ads and
sophisticated marketing, those without
funds have little chance of getting
their voices heard. Consequently,
innovative expression, often
considered “too risky” by big money is
marginalized and eventually sentenced
to obscurity. Here at I Want Change, we
want to highlight those artists that
take risks and continue plugging away
not because of ego, fame and fortune,
but because they have a passion, a
voice, and a message.
Stephen Gary is a lawyer by day and an
artist by night. He works in all
mediums ranging from oil and acrylic to
metal, old records, lollypops and
whatever else he can get his hands on.
His work is both provocative and often
3 dimensional, dealing with war,
hypocrisy and freedom.
If you would like to learn more about
Gary Stephens and his work please
contact him at:
artist.looseination@worldnet.att.net
Below are some examples of his work.
IWC: When did you first become
political?
I first became aware of the politics of
power in the 1960s… I saw a division
between my generation and the
establishment.... As I got older I
realized the hypocrisy of the
established system, the connection of
powerful moneyed interests to the
church and state. George Bush and his
cohorts are by far the biggest threat
to democracy I have ever seen. They
twist the truth to fit their
desires....The one thing they did not
count on is that people are beginning
to see the strings on the puppets. The
truth needs to be told about this
regime and its connection to nothing
more than their own self-preservation,
and bald faced greed.
IWC: How much does art and
expression influence your opinions on
social issues?
With my art I try to put into visual
terms the truths and beliefs of the
common American, at times I also try to
point out the hypocrisy
IWC:What is your main goal as an
artist?
My main goal as an artist is to be true
to myself, and hopefully
to make others aware of my vision, as I
see it. Another aspect
of my art is to simply produce harmony
and beauty. I would like to be
recognized by my peers. If not, history
will record what I have done.
IWC: How does being a lawyer help
you?
Being a lawyer has been a double-edged
sword. On the one
hand I have learned about the high
ideals of the constitution and on the
other hand, knowing the law, I have
observed how those in power have
trampled on those ideals under the
guise of LAW.
IWC: What mediums do you work with
in your art?
In my art I work with metal, baseball
bats, rocks, fiberglass, wood,
paint, pastel, cloth, squirt guns,
crayon, pencil, the computer, and
various mixed media taken from our
massed produced culture. Anything that
makes a mark could be incorporated into
my work.
IWC: How long have you been
painting?
I have been drawing since I was 5 years
old, painting since about 12. I have
a BFA University of Texas, and worked
on my MFA for one year. I quit school
and started doing art shows.
IWC: Who's your favorite artist?
I have many favorite artists: Sargeant,
Monet, Van Gogh, DeKooning, Pollack
and Schnable. My ultimate goal would be
to throw up on a canvas and someone
would buy it just because I signed it.
In the interim, I’ll try to
impress you with my abilities, and
hopefully instill a sense of fun, beauty
and happiness into your life.
IWC:What is your ultimate goal?
My ultimate goal would be to leave this
world a better place because I was
here.
(c.) Copyrighted by Stepen Gary
