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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 25 years". He can't remember when his journey as an artist began. His earliest memory is of himself, drawing. At the age of 16 he had his first two-man show of drawings at a ine art gallery in his hometown, Detroit. As a young man his interests changed. He received his BSEE degree in 1979 and in the decade that followed, moved to Florida where he worked in the defense industry. His creative side slowly reasserted itself, marking the beginning of what he calls "the wonderful obsession" followed by a gradual recognition of himself as someone who was born to sculpt and paint. He began the 90's as a full-time fine artist with his first limited edition bronze sculptures. By the end of the decade he had completed sculpture commissions for individuals and two county 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 learn the art of classical painting. In Atlanta, he studied under his father and attended life drawing classes. In Florida, he engaged in marathons during which he would paint for days on end for the purpose of refining his skills. During the 2000's he enlarged his self-directed education. His studies under other painters took him to New York, Philiadelphia, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta again. As we approach 2010 Owens has come full circle, as a well educated classical artist with hard-won comphrehensive set of skills and a record of successful commissions. Owens is currently working on his largest project to date: a 650 - pound, bronze memorial sculpture for the St. Augustine Foot Soldiers Remembrance Project, Inc. When completed in the fall of 2010, the sculpture will be installed in the Plaza de la Constitucion in the heart of historic St. Augustine. When asked "what does the future hold?", Owens avoided making predictions and quoted Leonard Cohen instead, saying "I am not in control of this enterprise". However, he is absolutely certain that his best work is yet to come. "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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