GrantCunningham.ca: December 2010

Welcome to my art blog

A self-taught artist, I have always been drawn towards the macabre. Born a twin on Christmas Eve 1964 in Montreal, my twin died several months after birth. This became a large influence in my creative process; isolation, detachment, duality, haunted visions coming from this astral being that I am forever tethered to.

Art has always been my way to process and filter what I come across, what I am subjected to, or what I subject myself to each day; a way for me to exorcise the demons on my shoulder. The paintings are empathic, often inspired by the individual’s strength in the face of their own weakness. The common thread in all of my works is survival of self.

If a viewer is made uncomfortable by my work, then I have done my job as an artist. I have touched something within them that they are not comfortable with. I want to elicit a visceral response but maintain a sense of the absurd, creating works that are both intensely horrifically personal and humourous.

I am inspired by artists that have celebrated the grotesque: Hieronymus Bosch, Joe Coleman, Otto Dix and George Grosz.
This blog is a progression of my work, works in progress, random thoughts etc. You can join me on Facebook or view a gallery of my work on Flickr at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27952465@N05/
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Your f(r)iend,
Grant Cunningham

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

The Green Fairy

Work has progressed slowly over the hellidays but back to the easel. I started work again on the this piece which I originally intended for entry into a competition for a company that produces absinthe. Turns out however that it is restricted to US residents only, but I'm keeping with the absinthe green of this picture and have titled it "The Green Fairy".

Friday, December 3, 2010

Untitled in Progress....

The title for this work in progress hasn't come to me yet, but I originally started this piece for an absinthe competition I was asked to submit to and I've always loved that tone of green. Haven't decided yet if I'm going to submit this to the competition (I have to paint their logo somewhere on the piece... I'm thinking in the green jewel of the hat... and I can easily paint over it if they decide not to go with the piece).