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| Biography Awards/Grants Selected Collections Selected Commissions Selected Exhibitions Affiliations Periodicals, where Referenced Education Other Online Listings Selected Press and Media |
| BIOGRAPHY Ask Brian Owens how long it took him to complete a specific work of art and he will answer "about 35 years". He can't remember when his journey as an artist began. His earliest memory is of himself, drawing. Born to a musician and a visual artist, his interests centered around art and ideas. At the age of 16 he had his first two-man show of drawings at a fine art gallery in his hometown of Detroit. As he grew, his interests changed and in 1979 he received his BSEE degree. In the decade that followed, Owens moved to Florida where he worked in the defense industry. His creative side slowly reasserted itself, followed by a gradual recognition of himself as someone who was born to sculpt and paint. "Being an artist" he said "is not what I do, its what I am". Owens began the 90's as a full-time fine artist with the release of his first limited edition bronze sculptures. By the end of the decade he had completed sculpture commissions for individuals, two municipal government buildings and had won a public art commission from the Corporation for Olympic Development in Atlanta (CODA). This involved the creation of four historic bronze relief sculptures that are permanently installed on Auburn Avenue in the neighborhood where Martin Luther King was raised. His father Carl C. Owens - a successful illustrator and painter - relocated to Atlanta during the 90's. Brian saw this as an opportunity to build upon the foundation of skills he developed earlier in life and begin to learn the art of classical painting. In Atlanta, he studied under his father. In Florida, he studied under other artists and engaged in marathons during which he would paint for days on end for the purpose of refining his skills. During the 2000's he shifted focus from "speculative sculpture" in favor of sculpture commissions while expanding his self-directed education. His independent studies under other painters took him to New York, Philiadelphia, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta again. By 2010, Owens had come full circle as a well educated classical artist with a hard-won comphrehensive set of skills and a record of successful commissions. "We understand life only through personal experience, but this can take decades. The problem is we just don't live long enough. Some commissions take a year or more to complete, so I'm careful about the types of projects that I take on now." Owens recently completed his largest project to date: A bronze memorial sculpture for the St. Augustine Foot Soldiers Remembrance Project, Inc., now installed in the Plaza de la Constitucion in the heart of historic St. Augustine, Florida. He is now sculpting an historic, life-size bronze figure of educator Dr. Arthur Herald Parker for the Birmingham City Board of Education in Alabama. When asked "what does the future hold?", Owens avoided predictions, saying "this type of work does not lend itself to strategic planning ... Leonard Cohen said it best when he revealed 'I am not in control of this enterprise' ... I have other interests as well ... writing, film-making, travel". Owens is certain however, that his best work is yet to come. "In truth, I've just scratched the surface. I need several decades to punch through my list of things to do. I'm going to live to be 95 or die trying". |
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