Artist Profile: Steven Pearson’s 'Controlled Chaos'

Steven Pearson has been drawing and trying to copy images for as long as he can remember.  After exhausting every artistic outlet his high-school offered, Pearson joined the Navy, but continued to draw. 

When he returned, he picked up right away on his artistic education, attending Fultion-Mongomery Community College in Johnston, NY for Art Education and then the College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY, for Studio Art.  He then went on to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in Painting at the Hoffberger School of Painting at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore.

Pearson’s paintings--a riot of color, shapes and movement--are examples of what Pearson calls “controlled chaos”. 

“My goal is to make them more busy and loaded with visual information while still finding subtle ways to keep it all controlled,” Pearson said.

Beyond the canvas, Pearson is an associate professor at McDaniel College in the Art & Art History Department where he teaches painting, drawing, design, color theory, printmaking, and advanced studio art. He acts as Director of the college's Esther Prangley Rice Gallery, and he is the faculty advisor to the art club. 

On the home front, Pearson is also the proud father of a 4-year-old son.

Patch:  What do you enjoy about creating this type of art?

Pearson: I find these paintings incredibly challenging and time consuming. Figuring out ways to keep the color exciting but not nauseating can be a challenge. A painting about 4 feet squared takes a minimum of one month painting at least 8 hours a day minimum.

Patch:  What inspires your art?

Pearson:  Our crazy information overloaded world and my dad. In my paintings I try to mirror what I see daily driving down billboard and chain-store laden roads, browsing the internet with ads and pop-ups, and sifting through emails, facebook notices, and finding helpful and not so helpful apps on my blackberry or iPad. They also mirror the way I feel being a single full time dad to a very active 4 year old. 

Patch: Who inspires your work?

Pearson: My dad inspires me with his work ethic. He is a 68-year-old truck driver who gets up at 3 in the morning and works till 5 or 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. He has always worked hard to provide for his family and f I don't put long hours into my studio work, I feel guilty thinking about the amount of hours my dad works.

Pearson is currently working on a series of paintings that are derived from a single composition.   

“I liken it to the old 'telephone game' used to illustrate how rumors can be started and change from one person to the next, or maybe even to genetic variation,” Pearson said.

These paintings will be up for an exhibition at the end of the year in Baltimore at 'Exhibit A', the gallery at the Hamilton Street Club.

Pearson’s “Controlled Chaos” paintings have been featured in a number of shows and exhibitions, including:  the Studio H Gallery in Washington, DC, Subtle Rebellion Gallery in Abingdon, MD, The Gallery at the GreenBelt Community Center in Greenbelt, MD and at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA.  Most recently, he had a 24-foot-long painting in an exhibit at BWI Airport's International Terminal in a group exhibition called "Feats of Monumentality".

To find out more, view additional works or learn where you can view upcoming exhibitions visit www.srpearson.com.  All works are for sale. Interested parties can inquire about prices through the website.