Gary Stevens - Artist Statement

When I first began thinking about this final project, I was sure of one thing. I wanted to depict the land and locations of World of Warcraft, a computer game that I play along with thousands of other people. At first, I was sure that what I would be doing was documenting the virtual landscapes for the general public, the people that would never play the game. I felt that the scenery of this fictional world had enough merit to be depicted in a "higher" art form. Although it appears as though this is exactly what I accomplished with my final pieces, there were many alterations to my process and thought patterns that occurred throughout my time working.

The first thing that changed from my original plan is that I added a character. Although I began with purely landscapes, I felt that a personal touch needed to be added. Something or someone needed to be interacting with these scenes to bring them out of the virtual world, and more into ours. I designed a character loosely based upon myself, or so I thought. Originally, I thought that it would be most effective to draw and paint a figure similar to my own, for it is what I am accustomed to painting the most. However, this simple little character which I was using as a tool in my work quickly gained more significance to me. I found myself giving him a back story in my head to explain why he was in these exotic locales. I had created a traveling artist who was traveling the fictional World of Warcraft and documenting what he saw, much like I had set out to do with this final. However, the similarities didn’t end there.

My character didn’t just find himself wandering the landscapes in my paintings. Instead, I began putting him in tougher situations. I depicted him overcoming the harshness of nature, the loneliness of night, the dawning of day, and the long road home. At first, I felt that these depictions where just more interesting to look at, but I have realized another truth. I have taken the inspiration from these works, not from the game, but from real life, specifically, my life. I realize now that the reason I wanted to paint my character sleeping alone in a dark, unforgiving forest was to express my feelings of loneliness and uncertainly with my art education concentration. The inspiration for trudging through the snow covered, blizzard bombarded mountain peaks was my own perseverance through mounds of responsibilities. Gazing at the dawning sun is a welcome experience, yet it uncovers the arduous journey that lies before the traveler, similar to waking up to student teach. Finally, the weary traveler returns to the city. For me, my journey here at Assumption College is ending, and I feel I am greeted by those who welcome me, where ever I happen to end up.

Although this character of mine may have had more to do with me that I originally planned, he is not the sole component to these pieces. The color and stroke are equally as impressive to me. In recent times, my personal relationships have deepened and strengthened, lightening my mood, and I have found myself working with much brighter colors, as my paintings demonstrate. Also, through working with kids, I have come to appreciate the very loose stroke they have in art, and in life. I have let go of some of the control in my later paintings, and relied more on an almost childlike instinct to create my work, leaving me with loose stokes, but a continuity that flows together nicely.

The bottom line? Although this collection of work that I have gathered reflects my original intention, many changes have taken place along the route of its production. All of these changes and revelations have strengthened my work in one way or another, and given it a deeper personal meaning that I believe emphasized my love not only for the game, but the journey I take each and every day.