Interview with Sean Noonan
by Abel Ibáñez G.
Which tools did you use for the creation of this piece?
Oil on Found Wood, Artist Made Frame
This piece was inspired by an early morning walk to a place that used to be a major hub for boat travel between Kingston and New York City. The docks no longer remain, but the sculpted landscape still holds a bit of that story.
What was the creative process behind it, from the beginning until it was finished?
I paint on surfaces often found nearby, such as weathered wood collected on the street, embracing the inherent history within the materials and evoking recollections of inferred and imagined pasts. The wood I used for this painting had an existing layer of pale gray house paint. This matte gray worked effectively with the color that remained in my memory from an early morning walk along the Hudson. I built up layers of warm white, earthy reds and yellows, and a touch of Veronese Green oil paint. To capture the experience I entered the painting with hands, moving the paint around with touch and memory of a very familiar place in my town.
What did you enjoy the most about the process?
I reached a place with this painting where I wasn’t overthinking. I also enjoyed the warmth and simplicity the painting held, while actually being quite busy.
What was the hardest thing for you and how did you solve it?
I’m always torn on framing a work, wether it adds or detracts. In this case I think it helped hold my memory.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
The painting now lives in the Netherlands, I like the thought of it traveling, especially work that travelled at a time when we couldn’t because of the pandemic.
Sean Noonan (b.1986) is a Hudson Valley based artist. He spent much of his youth in northern Florida, and returned to New York for University, where he now calls home.