DEAN MORAN

With only a handful of prints per run, these block prints are printed on an array of paper types using traditional oil-based relief inks. Each print is derived from a single linoleum block. As each layer of color takes shape, I carve and cut, stripping away the linoleum. The frames are hand-milled from discarded hardwoods, complete with contrasting corner splines for added visual interest and craftsmanship.

This series plays with the balance of geometric shapes and vibrant hues, merging fragmented parts and exploring their interplay. I invite the viewer to contemplate the depths of positive and negative space, provoking curiosity about the way things come together.

I often imagine myself inside the work and how it would feel to experience these abstract worlds. What would it be like to embody the sensation of being within a given piece? …striding with purpose or floating in weightlessness, turning corners and descending stairs, plunging into the ocean, or peeking around corners where the joining of forms awaits.

These pieces navigate the landscape of my psyche, where organization and balance engage in a frenzied tango. In the style of Kintsugi, imperfections are not shunned but rather celebrated, like scars bearing testament to the flawed nature of both the artwork and its creator. The intricate puzzle-like Japanese joinery intermingles with abstract vistas of an ocean's expanse, as gliding fish scales arc and ripple through the scenery."

Dean Moran is a mixed media artist whose paintings of landscapes, geometric shapes and therianthropic figures show the twisted interconnection between environment and the human consciousness. His background in graphic design and graffiti often comes through in his use of color contrast and shapes. Some work has an obvious Japanese influence clashing with bold black inked lines that resemble traditional tattoos.

A self-described over-thinker, Dean finds solace in bizarre imagery, drawing influence from dreams, existential dread, environmental destruction and mental torment. These thoughts and ideas are often blended with satirical imagery resulting in a drollness that hopefully confounds the viewer.

Dean grew up in New Jersey the 1980’s and 90’s. He remembers wandering unsupervised through the museum where his mother was employed, soaking in the rotating exhibitions for his entire childhood. Dean now lives and works as a carpenter and artist on outer Cape Cod where the ocean plays a major role in most aspects of his life.

SARA MORAN

“This body of work is about containment.  The need for it, the craving of it, the desire to push up against it, and the call to break free from it.

Through use of materials and composition, the work metaphorically explores the various ways that one can be in relationship to a boundary.  It is the way that forms, gestures, and energies engage in a spatial dance: approaching, retreating, binding, pulsing, pushing, and pulling.  In an observation of process, the viewer is encouraged to reflect on how containment is expressed in the work.

A floating, hovering piece of paper is stitched to a backing.

A bulky piece of wool is bound with thin thread.

The clear demarcation of a white border acts as a declaration of separation.

A bold black stroke respects the delicacy of a pencil line.

A long piece of yarn confidently dismisses any attempt to contain. A clear ‘No’.

The cornerstone piece, fluidity_____rigidity, is a community of 42 canvas panels that asks the viewer: How do the forms relate to one another? How do the forms relate to the implemented boundary?  What is the energy of the piece(s) (individually and as a whole)?  Is there a specific one that speaks to you?

This piece is testament to the artists’ belief in art being affordable, accessible, interactive, and rooted in community; parts that make up a whole.

Containment: Will there ever be enough? And how come it always feels like too much?

I have used a range of materials with a textural quality to explore the shape, gesture, weight, and density of emotion and relationship.  The process included gathering, stitching, gluing, taping, painting, and fastening. The viewer will find themes of archetypal imagery, symbols, and spirituality/mysticism conveyed via bold forms and bright colors. The influence of the outsider art movement and artists such as Judith Scott are present in the work.”