Don Seastrum

My work is fundamentally that of a studio artist. I do use images of human figures, as well as what might more traditionally be called landscapes, however, the human images and landscape components are not intended to be descriptive of specific individuals or places. Rather they are expressions of ideas in pictorial form, substantive and particularized. I begin with an idea, a concept and then select images (shapes) uniting them with the other elements of composition (colors, values, spaces, line, form, texture) and manipulate those to carry the idea (content) of the piece.
At the very center of my work is the concept of the aesthetic narrative. Within this consideration, aesthetic narrative paintings are work(s) expressive of concepts, ideas, philosophies or any number of content-texts. The pieces use the power of visual images to provoke thoughts, rouse feelings and stimulate the intellect. The work may call into question commonly held beliefs, relate stories, or challenge preconceived ideas.
As a studio based painter my work has been a continuing investigation into the essence and nature of constructed images as individual entities that are neither reliant nor dependent upon a one to one reproduction of the subject matter ref...

Ph.D. in Fine Arts: 1998: The Union Institute: Cincinnati, Ohio
Master of Liberal Studies Degree: 1992: University of Denver: Thesis in Fine Art Theory and Criticism. Denver, Colorado.
Graduate Studies in the Theories of Argumentation: 1991: University of Colorado at Denver: Denver, Colorado.
Bachelor of Arts Degree: 1974: Western State College of Colorado: Gunnison, Colorado. English Major: Minor in Art.

Exhibitions: Local and Regional
Black and White: September12, - October 17, 1975. Randi’s Art Gallery, Denver, Colorado: One of four featured artists in this exhibition of works done on paper in black and white mediums.
Two Views: June 9 – July 12, 1976. Two-man show at the Lincoln Community Center, Fort Collins, Colorado.
In Plane View: September 11 – September 29, 1976. Two-man show at The Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, Arvada, Colorado.
Images in Light and Colour: October 4 – November 5, 1982. The Sloane Gallery of Art, Oxford Office Building, Denver, Colorado. This was the first exhibition ever held in which American artists exhibited with Russian non-conformist émigré artists.
Images in Light and Colour II: June 28 – July 22, 1984. The Sloane Gallery of Art, Oxford Office Building, Denver, Colorado.
23 Artists: September 14 – October 4, 1989. 1999 Broadway Gallery, Denver, Colorado.
Diverse Works, Distinguished Colorado Artists: May 12 – June 11, 1990. One West Contemporary Art Center, Fort Collins, Colorado.
English and American Artists: August 4 – September 3, 1992. Sean Gallery, London England and Sander-Crichton Gallery, 2134 3rd Avenue, Seattle, Washington.
Public Works: April 12 – March 15, 1996...