S. Ross Browne

Statement

I am compelled to create images that explore compositions of the human form and the juxtaposition of perceptions and misconceptions associated with sensitive socio-political dynamics past and present. My interpretations of historical relevance and possibility permeate the visual dialogue that the images inspire.

I am passionate about challenging preconceived notions of the shared human experience and eroding the conventionally assigned racial archetypes. To that end, I examine the possible in the perceived introspections and shared history of my subjects in classical pictorial representations using delineations of factual chronicles and imagined mythology. As a nascent artist, I was content to reproduce representational tableaus that merely showcased virtuosity of form, color, composition and gradient value. However, during my matriculation in the South, I experienced illogical assumptions of class and culture based solely on the hue of flesh. My desire was to use portraiture, replete with persuasive imagery that defies the common visual library, as a conduit for communication and an instigator of discourse.

As the paintings evolve in iteration I find my impetus is to produce works that challenge the struggles of identity, power and self-actualization unique to the experiences of the people of the African diaspora and women in particular, in America and on a global stage. A provocative dichotomy ensues when the artwork itself receives assumptions based merely on the race of the subject, making the work a resonant optical cavity, infinitely reflecting the human condition.

S Ross Browne

S Ross Browne Video