Under the Provençal Light
with artist TJ Owens
by
Georgianna Lane, for Fine Art Registry®
It may be the most famous light in the world - the light of Provence. It has tempted and inspired and captivated artists for centuries. Many hope to visit one day, or nurture a secret dream of packing belongings into an aged leather trunk and moving there for good.
Fine Art Registry® member, Dr. TJ Owens has realized that dream, purchasing and moving to a maison in Suave, France in 2006. Twenty-five miles from Nîmes, Suave is a picturesque town on the Vidourle River in an area of vineyards and orchards, with narrow medieval streets and alleyways - a painter's paradise. While he maintains a residence in California, it is Provence that claims most of his time each year.
Artist, TJ Owens. (FAR® Registered Artist)
A Doctor of Developmental Psychology, TJ first became involved in art in grade school, where he insisted on coloring "outside the lines." Art provided a fun distraction as well as a way to get some positive attention from his fellow classmates! It wasn't until his early twenties that TJ recognized the deep satisfaction art brought and became more seriously dedicated and committed.
His first solo exhibit took place in Sacramento in 2007, where he sold several dozen pieces. But TJ is in an enviable position of not having to rely on his art to support himself.
Two Bridges of Sauve, by artist TJ Owens. (FAR® ID #27260),
and a photograph of the same view.
"Since I am fortunate enough not to depend on the sales of my art to buy the groceries and pay the utility bills, marketing is not as important to me as having my work visible to others who may find/feel (intuitively or otherwise experience) similar levels of resonance. Having my art visible and available of course may require the same efforts as traditional 'marketing' - just lacking the pressures to sell!"
Reflecting Influences
TJ's influences are many and varied, an eclectic mix which he incorporates into the scope of his colorful, intense works.
His figurative works could be considered "edgy" and somewhat provocative, while his landscapes lean toward the traditional, with an expressionist flavor.
#1 Rue du Parc, by artist TJ Owens.
(FAR® ID #25783)
"I admire and have been influenced by a great many artists, including some referred to as primitive artisans: those that created the ancient stone Venus carvings (small female like statues), historic petroglyphs, African carvings, Egyptian reliefs, Greek mosaics, etc. - on up the ladder to present times.
"My current work heavily reflects the influence of more contemporary European artists - beginning around the 1850s - mainly French Impressionists, Dada, German Fauves and a myriad of individuals who were not dedicated members of any ism's!
"I am not in direct touch with 'what I am trying to do with my art'. Over several decades now it has been a means of 'settling' and calming my conscious and the unconscious tensions/stresses that ebb and flow through me as part of every day living in this world. I am aware of the strength it provides me and the clarity it brings to my life as well as the pleasure I experience during both the process and the conclusion of a work.
A scene from life in Sauve
"I am also aware that I do not have a need to do anything particularly 'new' - that the world has not seen or experienced before! - modern art marketing appears to thrive on the necessity to reinvent itself as something larger than life and 'oh so new' - hence more valuable and impressive than traditional works such as a small etching by Rembrandt!
"I feel fortunate and satisfied to proceed along, being entranced with colors, forms and feelings of mutuality, physicality and, yes, even levels of what may be referred to as 'spirituality' (those mysterious parts we cannot see or touch but can feel and sense the presence of). I am content with displaying and expelling the contents of our experiences that revolve us throughout time repeatedly - our 'collective unconsciousness', if you can indulge me such perspectives.
"I have studied many of the traditional means and methods of art making, however presently I prefer to explore mixed media as 'anything that sticks together' and brings me the visual intentions I find satisfying, especially with my figurative works. My landscapes are more traditional acrylic paintings reflecting a strong influence of the colourist - expressionists, impressionists and what I refer to as 'exaggeration ism'."
Provence Poppy Fields, by artist TJ Owens. (FAR® ID #26419)
Pushing the Boundaries of a Medium
TJ recently held a a very successful exhibition in Sauve, selling the majority of the pieces exhibited and causing quite a 'stir' with his giclee techniques. A professional printer and a gallery owner/artist in the village could not believe his works were giclees and were left essentially speechless!
Here is an excerpt of a review of his exhibition:
TJ Owens' work is only available at this time in giclee format. He states that because he has always done "art" for the "satisfaction it brings within him and is his form of biographical diary", he keeps the originals intact and under an umbrella foundation he has created for this purpose. Only a hand full of his original works are in the possession of others, usually close friends.
However, his giclees are not ordinary in that they are all heavily embellished and enhanced to the point where they become "individual versions" of very small editions. His acrylic paintings are usually limited to nine versions and his larger figurative works on paper do not exceed 27, all numbered and individually signed. When asked if he will ever sell any of his originals, he gives it serious thought but states, "I am not thinking of it at this time. My motivation to do art represents my own very personal 'psychic expansions.'"
Looking at one of his "versions" takes a very trained eye to divulge its standing as a "giclee" and they have been described as "individual works within their own merits." Often these embellished versions far exceed the original work's depth, details and composition and with very noticeable differences in their enhanced color schemes. They are virtually a total "redo" each time!
You have to actually see one of his works up close and in person to realize what an amazing metamorphose these giclees reflect.
The gallery in Sauve where artist TJ Owens
recently held a very successful exhibition.
It is this uniqueness of his work that led TJ to Fine Art Registry®. He had been searching for a recognized standard to identify the authentication of his work for his first solo exhibition and began tagging and registering his work with FAR® in 2007. Since then, he has registered over 50 pieces and plans to do each new piece as it is completed as well as his extensive backlog of hundreds of works completed over the last 45 years.
Evolution of an image: TJ's original painting of Village Church by Moon Lite, painted on a magazine cover (top left); an unembellished giclee canvas, what most artists sell as limited edition giclees (top right); TJ's embellished giclee (above left), virtually undistinguishible from the original; and a detail of the embellished giclee showing the depth of the paint and brushstrokes (above right).
The Benefits of Fine Art Registry
Registering his art with Fine Art Registry gives TJ two important advantages: it provides a retrievable record with instant visual recognition for him as well as the public who participate in collecting and viewing contemporary arts, and it provides what TJ considers to be a consistently reliable authentication method of permanent quality.
"I believe strongly that this is the best way to verify the authenticity of a work of art, including the substrata of the originals and the versions and/or copies of those originals," he says.
English Garden, by artist TJ Owens.
(FAR® ID #26418)
The subject of authentication is a passionate one for TJ.
"I will not associate my works with any outlet/gallery that does not authenticate and clearly identify the 'substance' of what they are selling, and that includes a great deal of outlets!
"In my opinion the public should be informed of what they are looking at and buying. As consumers, they should be protected and empowered with valid and correct information regarding their potential purchases - specifically regarding art reproductions. With the development of so many modern printing methods/techniques, there should be recognizable and legal guidelines to identify these works. Whether a xerox, an inkjet from a home-based computer, a photo chemical reproduction, an offset lithograph, a so-called silk screen, or a giclee! And these facts should also include who did the reproduction, when and what type/quality of substrata and inks were used. And of course if these are open edition or limited copies/editions. I also believe an archival standard for the products would be helpful. I am completely convinced this would result in a strengthening of the value and credibility of any work of art, as has always been the case throughout history.
Lady with Blue Hair, by artist TJ Owens, on
French newspaper. (FAR® ID #26416)
Future Plans
"My future as an artist is becoming more finite each day. The only plans I have are rather simple - to continue my explorations of art making - 'my indulgence of further creativities' - mainly those that are stimulating, exciting and pleasurable! That of course does not ignore those 'flashes of angst' that burst onto the scene on a regular basis!"
One thing is certain - TJ will be in Provence, blending the magical light with his own unique perspective.
View TJ's Fine Art Registry gallery here!
Mt. Cabin, by artist TJ Owens. (FAR® ID #27102)
— by Georgianna Lane
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August 1, 2009
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