MIDB Artwork Spotlight: Original Abstract Paintings

The paintings "Synaptic Imagination 2 B" and "La Nouvelle Normalite': Vision Un (The New Normal: Vision One)" are now part of MIDB's permanent art collection. Created by Sean G. Phillips (seangarrison), the original pieces are acrylic on canvas.

According to his online bio, seangarrison is a native Detroiter currently residing in Minneapolis, and is a writer and abstract painter in which both disciplines cross-influence the other. A self-taught artist, he feels that all artists should have a foundational understanding of art but art is conceived in the soul of the artist which precludes an academic knowledge. He says, "Art is meant to wake people up, sit inside their head and spin the imagination like an old soul record. I guess that makes me a 'DJ' of a different sort."

seangarrison is a 2021-22 Artist-in-Residence at the Minnesota African-American Heritage Museum and Gallery and has shown his work at many venues throughout the Twin Cities, including the Minnesota African-American Heritage Museum and Gallery, Basilica of St, Mary’s, Hennepin Gallery, Gamut Gallery, and Homewood Studios.

He also joined the Imagination Central program this spring as a guest artist to work with adolescents participating in the the research study about creativity held at MIDB.

He says, "Working with the young people of Imagination Central was nothing short of magical. Watching what stirred inside of them come to life on canvas was like breathing for me."