I am interested in exploring issues of interpersonal connection, as well as experiences of repression and rebirth. Members of the Bare Oaks naturist community have chosen to defy societal expectations by remaining unclothed in non-sexual situations, so they have experience in what it means to resist repression, and therefore in the freedom and avoidance of inhibition that is evoked by that rejection of society’s constraints. While at Naked State, I would like to sketch and draw some of the naturists, while listening to their stories about what drew them to the lifestyle, how they feel that naturism is viewed by society, and how they have experienced this. The stories will be the inspirations for the artworks created in pencil, pen or watercolour sketches, as well as formal drawings in charcoal and/or oil paintings. I want to move beyond purely literal representation into capturing expression, mood, and evocation.
Aside from recent experimentation with computer-based and interactive art, I mostly I draw and paint people, including figures and portraits. Over the past several years I have been on a personal development path focused on gratitude, acceptance, and personal responsibility for personal emotions. This has manifested into portrait paintings from life (especially of people I know) that respond to their stories, issues, and personal interests through the artworks.
Brian Lynn is an emerging artist, who entered visual arts after a long career in technology, particularly in the financial industry. His creative practice has focused on skills development as opposed to thematic and conceptual development. Lynn looks forward to Naked State art residency as an opportunity to explore what he says is “art as a response to what I see and hear, unconstrained by convention, expectation, and societal pressures.” Lynn lives and works in Toronto, Ontario.