BORN TO PAINT
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”
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- Pablo Picasso
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f “Child is Father to the Man”, as the saying goes, than Charles Carson, sire to the artist/ prodigy Anthony Yann Carson, has an interesting life ahead of him as his boy comes of age and begins to experience the rigors of a painter’s life. With no thought to the business of art at this point, his body of works are not youthful outbursts but wellthought out abstractions in color, form and composition that are far beyond his years. When Carson sent us these works for our opinion, our initial response was that of a positive nature, that they were strong, dynamic and rife with an abundance of energy and color. We did not know they were executed by the nine year-old son of an established master painter who is recognized around the world for his dynamic compositions for which the critics had to create a new expression: “Carsonism.” Young Yann embraces this tradition and has already produced a well-crafted collection that contains tangible elements that embrace the continuum of those who came before him in the context of art history and pave new ground as only an artist with a clean slate and
no formal knowledge can produce. For someone who has not yet lived a decade, the experiences in his father’s studio have already proven to be an education far beyond that any art school could provide. Sitting in his diaper, paint brush in hand, earnestly dabbing paint on his father’s wooden palette, Yann Anthony Carson gives the impression that even at a few months of age he had a confidence and understanding of what he was doing even then. As time progressed, his work took on a form of its own, original yet derivative. He picked up on the Carsonism quite naturally, of course, and this born talent manifests with his natural proclivity toward applying oil on canvas. The resulting abstractions indicate not only a promising future but a bright present. Certainly he will become an artist to be reckoned with but even today, at this age, we can enjoy and learn from his understanding of the depth of color and original blending of the color wheel into coherent expressions and renderings. In this young lad, we can see a strength and confidence that is as promising as it is rare. Thoughtful and thought-provoking paintings are the result . Born October 27, 2006, as an infant he was very observant and sensitive. From an early age, he loved playing with the colors and painting with brush and spatula, performing a multitude of gestures seeking inspiration from his father. “In his first month of SunStorm/Fine Art • Summer 2016 • Page 75
Napoléon, 12” x 10”
the image one can sense a three-pointed hat and a man of small stature with his hand concealed in his cloak. War-monger or national treasure, we are treated to an interpretation that allows us to decide for ourselves. Yann Carson takes us there, but the choice is ours. One wonders what he really thinks of his subject matter. In Poisson (below), for example, he offers his rendition and variation on one of his father’s favorite themes: the ocean. A few simple lines draw the fish out of the underwater background, perhaps coral reefs and vegetation make for not only a solid painting, but follow along the call for ecological initiatives begun by his father.
Abstrait, 60” x 30”, oil on canvas Abstrait, 60” x 30”, oil on canvas,
life,” commented Charles, “he was fascinated by a framed mosaic I painted. Whenever he was at his table — the painting was in his direct line of view — one could sense the joy and good mood from his smile. This particular image aroused more curiosity, unlike other paintings that seemed only to bring him no response. In other words, from an early age, he had this desire in him, an admiration of and a fascination for the art.” In the 60 x 30 inch abstract (above), form, composition and color embrace each other fulfilling their harmonic mission with a comforting azure background, reminiscent of sea and sky with touches of reds, whites, greens and yellow to indicate the flow of energy, perhaps, from the sun to the verdant earth below, with a dark form central to the image that may be a mountain range or even the earth itself...or maybe not. Further along is a rendition of Napoleon, a venture into portraiture that shows the artist as historian. His take on the much-maligned yet heroic figure is as conflicted as the Emperor himself. Somewhere in Page 76 • SunStorm/Fine Art • Summer 2016
Poisson, 20”x 20”
23 - Abstrait, 12’ x 10’, oil on canvas
In the abstract above (#23), Yann explores an alternative range of colors and sentiment, using deep yellows to build a universe bursting with energy and ready to explode. Again, an element of peace, represented by the cyan form in the lower right speaks to, perhaps, the creation of the Universe and in the painting #28, young Carson takes a look into the fiery depths of dare I say it, hell. Flames are bursting from what seems like molten lava, but we are again soothed by a deep blue motif that offers hope. With A mon pere (#2, above right) the artist ventures into portraiture to create a beautiful image of a face — is it his or his father’s? — that emerges from a placid background of shimmering pinks, blues and oranges that convey a message of harmony, peace, comfort and hope. Yann has accompanied his father to art galleries, the major museums (Musée du Louvre, Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, Musée dart De Marseille, Museum of Contemporary Art, Havana; Museum of Modern Art, Bogota, etc.) and numerous international art shows such as Art Basel, Spectrum, Art Palm Beach, Art Miami, Artexpo in New York, Exhibition of Fine Art in Paris, the galas Academia XXI of the International Academy of Fine Arts of Quebec, which have definitely contributed to the development of his creativity and his passion for art.
2 - A mon pere, 12” x 10”, oil on canvas
28 Abstrait, 12” x 10”, Oiil on canvas SunStorm/Fine Art • Summer 2016 • Page 77
Father and son at the Atelier, Paris, 2013
The pleasure of experienceing such enthusiasm enmeshed in a skill set far beyond his years is inspiring. The spirit of creativity lives on. It is more than refreshing to watch this little boy fervently conjuring beauty since his birth. We can be touched that such a youth can lead us to follow our own dreams, do our work as play and glorify the Spirit which has given us life with goodness and elegance unfettered by the horrors that abound. Hope is an ever-fleeting glimpse of perfection; perfection that can be found in a van Gogh brushtroke, a Ruthian swing with a baseball bat, a delicate stroke of chisel to stone or a thoughtful couplet that brings us nearer our destiny. Who is to say what the future holds for Yann Anthony Carson? Certainly we look forward to following him as he matures and develops and we are equally certain that if he continues along this path he will find himself in museums, galleries and textbooks. He is at work and at play in creativity and no critic can tell you what tomorrow may bring. —VICTOR BENNETT FORBES Page 78 • SunStorm/Fine Art • Summer 2016
24 Abstrait, 10” x 12”, oil on canvas