#steve penley

[mariettacobbartmuseum]

Roosevelt by Steve Penley

Artist's Site: http://www.stevepenley.com/

Currently on display at the Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art from January 11 to March 23, 2014. 

http://www.mariettacobbartmuseum.org/friends.html

[countrytweeds]

[davidiwilliams]

Artist Statement - Steve Penley

Saw this on his page and thought I'd share:

The values and attitudes of every generation are reflected in its art. This generation is definitely no exception. There is a battle being waged between world views which are diametrically opposed to one another. This polarization is visible in politics, entertainment and culture. In today's post-modern world, God has been removed and secularism seeks to fill the void. Once God is out of the equation, all objective truths are out with him. Any standard of beauty or aesthetic value is gone. Once objective standards are lost there is no longer any definition of what constitutes art. Historically art ennobles and seeks to reflect a greater good, but today's art reveals something much darker. The post-modern world is seeking to discredit and destroy any truths which it thinks inconvenient. A small minority of intellectual elitists are attempting to force a sometimes unwilling public to accept its hopeless and demented world view as the norm. Many today who want to be accepted by this clique only consider artwork that is cynical and negative to be important. I have chosen uncomplicated subjects such as historical icons because they are something we all have in common. Each of these subjects has meanings which are imprinted in the back of our minds. By manipulating these images, I hope to bring the viewer into a new way of seeing familiar subjects. In today's world we have a tendency towards destruction. Today's heroes seem small and insignificant compared with those of the past. There is no question that many icons of our culture are less than perfect. But there are plenty of other outlets in art and culture to expose their real or imagined weaknesses. I would rather search for the ideal in these subjects and if possible given them a new dignity. These paintings are not documentaries of their respective subjects per se, but simply representations of the common bonds we all share with them. These formal and sometimes stoic images are a great contrast with bright colors and expressionistic brush strokes. And, hopefully this will give familiar subjects new life.

[countrytweeds]

[countrytweeds]

[spencerlewis]

Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry. | Mark Twain

{ Painting by Steve Penley // Photo by Jo Reeves Photography }

[atlantamagazine-blog-blog]

The Carrollton home is a metaphor for Steve’s career: country club and bohemia meeting halfway. When Macon-born Steve was a student at the University of Georgia, he didn’t fit in completely with either his fraternity brothers or his fellow art majors, who thought he wasn’t countercultural enough.

Lisa Mowry, At Home with Celebrated Artist Steve Penley

[thesouthernc]

Culture: A Great Southern Artist of Our Time

By Cheri Leavy

Steve Penley from Georgia- www.stevepenley.com

It is fun to consider Penley's path from a young starving artist to one of the most noted artists in our nation of this generation.  Imagine that he visited the Sea Island Beachclub in paint splattered cut-off duckhead shorts with his long hair looking as if he had fun with his fraternity brothers the night before and then picture him returning over a decade later and attending a gala during the 2004 G8 Summit at The Cloister on Sea Island and hobnobbing with the leaders of the world which he had painted as subjects shortly prior.

Penley's iconic images range from Jesus Christ  to Ronald Reagan to Coca Cola.  His colorful palette is in contrast to his oftentimes serious subjects.  He has an affinity for painting portraits of iconic leaders and is a real American history buff.  He captures the best in Reagan time and time again, even doing a book, 'Ronald Reagan And The American Ideal,'  devoted solely to this leader.  I believe Penley has painted all the American presidents.  His Winston Churchill paintings are inspiring...never give up!

Penley's faith has matured and his strong Christian beliefs are displayed at Northside United Methodist Church in Atlanta in his 30' by 10' painting of the Resurrection of Christ.  It is a moving rendition.

Penley's love of his alma-mater, The University of Georgia, is also shown in many of his works.  He has several collaborations with UGA legendary Coach Vince Dooley in three book titles such as 'Vince Dooley's Garden: The Horticultural Journey of A Football Coach', 'Dooley’s Playbook, 34 of Georgia’s Most Memorable Plays' and 'History and Reminiscences of the University of Georgia.'

My family thinks the world of Penley and has so many fond memories with him. We love following his momentous career.  He is fast becoming an icon in his own right.