Sean W. Spellman・12 Paintings/12 Collages
Compound YV presents 12 Paintings/12 Collages, a solo exhibition by Sean W. Spellman. This collection of work reflects the artist’s relationship with the high desert over the course of a 20-year period. The neutral palettes and monumental shapes of the vast and strange Mojave Desert have served as a formative backdrop and a recurring theme in Sean’s minimalist work, informing his approach to living and creating, from music to visual art.
Sean combines colors, shapes, and symbols in deceptively rudimentary ways, leaving as much as possible to be filled in by the curiosity of the viewer. By encouraging the mind to wander, each of Sean’s paintings contain the hope that they will be experienced in a uniquely individualized way.
Opening reception:
Jan. 20, 2024 | 6–10 PM
ARTIST BIO
Sean W. Spellman spent nearly a decade living and working in various American cities: Portland, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and now, the sleepy coastal town of Westerly, RI. He has crossed the country more than two dozen times, many of them solo trips, documenting his journeys in paintings, drawings, photographs, and song. These interpretations serve as self-proclaimed personal inspiration to keep moving and as conceptual documents of the many places a person might dream of calling home. His work has been featured in publications such as Dwell, Vogue, and Rolling Stone, and can be seen in person in collaborations with recognizable brands like Gap, Urban Outfitters, and Rivian. Sean’s painting and mural work can be experienced in boutique hotels, including Ceylon Sliders in southern Sri Lanka, Hotel Joaquin in Laguna Beach, Marram in Montauk and several Freehand Hotels, to name a few. His alter ego, Sgt Joe Roberts, has documented his own public art in locations from the Mojave to New Delhi.
SPECIAL PREVIEW DINNER
Friday, January 19 | 7pm | 21+ Limited seating
To celebrate Sean’s solo exhibition of new work before it opens to the public, asi asi and Compound YV will co-host a communal, four course dinner presented by Chef Kim Herrera Cruz of Citlali Tamales. This event is intended for old and new friends, travelers, art appreciators, gallery supporters, and more. You’ll go home with a custom printed napkin by Sean, great conversations, and a story.
