Steven Garmanian

Acrylic Painting & Assemblage

Willard Art & Frame is excited to present Octopus’s Garden, a new collection of 16 vibrantly optimistic 3D assemblages, featuring dream-inspired animistic imagery of totem, sentinel and guardian figures by local artist Steven Garmanian.

See an interview with artist Steven Garmanian from an earlier show at Willard Art & Frame here.

What’s this show all about?

After witnessing the loss of starfish in Puget Sound waters, and researching the human impact on the oceans with the devastation of coral reefs, unsustainable fishing practices, and the build up of plastic waste, I decided to create a show, using mostly all recycled materials, composed of imaginary aquatic beings, natural yet embedded with glass and plastic detritus to show the confluence of sea creatures with our human incursion into their domain.

Friday, April 22 is Earth Day 2022

Earth Day reminds us to think about our impact on the lives of the many other creatures with which we share this planet. It can be depressing, and we can feel helpless by not knowing what we can do to help improve things. But, the good news is that to go from awareness and concern to action is a simple step. So, here’s a suggestion: watch “Seaspiracy” and “My Octopus Teacher” on Netflix. Then go to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society website and make a donation to support their good work. They have an Earth Day matching gift program currently.

Note: 10% of all proceeds from this show will be donated to The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.

“As a retired high school English teacher, I now have time to devote myself to art, music, poetry, birding, travel and environmental activism in greater measure. The images in my paintings typically arrive during dreams or in the quiet, meditative state achieved while swimming. I draw many sketches, select those to develop, gather materials, using as much recycled wood as possible, cut and router shapes, select positive and negative space, paint black and colors, assemble details, glue, seal and hang the artwork, ready for showing.

The influences for the images in these paintings range from natural to animistic entities, aquatic or alien beings and creatures of dreams from which figures emerge and dissolve, separate and connect, and sometimes, stay with us in the waking world, carrying warnings from the past and hope for the future.

‘…the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time.’

— T.S. Eliot”