Art Gallery Exhibit
SVCC Art Exhibit & Reception
Steve Sherrell is a career painter from the Chicago school of art. He was raised in Indiana but moved to the Chicago area to finish his education at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a BFA and MFA in Painting and Drawing. His early influence was his father who was a painter and window dresser for a large department store. As a boy he was exposed to Abstract Expressionism, Cubism, Pop Art and American Realism. His training at the School of the Art Institute was with Ray Yoshida and Whitney Halstead, who introduced him to studio practices that he has utilized since he graduated. He is Professor Emeritus of Art at Joliet Junior College.
One very important influence was Jonathon Borofsky, who directed him to follow his curiosity and do everything he felt was right at the time; a philosophy which has guided him throughout his career. Philosophically, he has always felt that a painting or drawing must have above all things, content. Subject matter and visual elements should always lead the viewer to an internal discussion, one that can carry on through many viewings. Because his philosophy is one of exploration, experimentation and discovery, he has learned to master the many different media of two dimensional art including digital creation and the digital enhancement of old school techniques.
He was until recently represented by 33 Contemporary Gallery in Chicago for 10 years but has shown at many prominent Chicago, national and international venues. He is a career artist, a seasoned veteran of the tough Chicago art world. There is always a sense of play to anything he does, but mixed in is an attempt to get at the heart of questions that matter to us in the 21st century. He has stated that his goal as an artist is create art based on his inner dialogue, while trying to keep it relevant within the current zeitgeist. He is currently the Director of Exhibitions and Curator at Water Street Studios in Batavia, Illinois and founder of the Water Street Studios Artist’s Collective.