As I thought about how I would describe the next featured piece, the word "explosive" came to mind. I looked at various definitions, certain words jumped from the screen: "great amount of potential energy," "rapid expanding," "burst forth," "internal energy," and "pressure from within."
The featured piece fits the definition.
I had invested in paintings of human figures and faces to this point, but I wanted an abstract for my office; nothing spoke to me. I wanted a statement piece that awed visitors. Finally, I found it!
Shante Brooks is an artist whose abstracts "burst forth" from the canvas. At 40x60, this is the largest piece I've purchased. Unfortunately, it was too large to ship, which meant...road trip! I drove eight hours from Arkansas to Atlanta to pick it up.
We pulled into Atlanta at dusk. I think my boyfriend's patience ran out in Birmingham. It was a heck of a night. It stormed, it was humid; it was a typical July in the south. But it was totally worth it!
When Shante posted the piece, he actually held it vertically, and he took my picture holding it vertically (see image below). I, however, turned it horizontally in my office. Trust me; it doesn't take away from its presence.
If you look closely, you can see that his fingertips brushed across the canvas. I believe paintings that are created by hand receive energy directly from the artist. The artist has actually put their DNA in the painting. There's also one section that you cannot see; he painted and painted and went through the canvas, which he repaired on the back. He put everything into this work of art.
To me, this piece contains a great amount of energy. It rapidly expands each time I view it, and it contains internal energy.
That's explosive.
Photo Credit: Shante Brooks at (Shante_Artwork)
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