"A thrilling young artist, very dramatic work, arresting and strong in narrative," says gallery owner Carol Craven about Ben Shattuck, whose paintings are on exhibit at the Vineyard Haven gallery through July 4, with a reception on the 3rd.
Ben Shattuck, a recent graduate of Cornell University, paints expressionistic landscapes, bird portraits, and still lifes. Photos courtesy of Ben Shattuck
Raised in South Dartmouth, Mr. Shattuck graduated from Cornell University in 2008 and had his first exhibit at the Craven Gallery last summer. He is something of a phenomenon: His paintings sold out at last year, and Ms. Craven expects another sellout this year.
His landscapes, bird portraits, and still lifes, which will be on display, are characterized by powerful brushstrokes, a heavy application of paint, and compositions bordering on abstract expressionist.
"I've been very lucky," the 25-year-old painter says. When he had a joint show with his father, painter Bill Shattuck, at 5 Traverse Gallery in Providence, R.I., that one, too, sold out - in an hour.
"Good Lord, maybe I'm onto something," Mr. Shattuck recalls thinking.
"Paper Whites in a bowl" shows the painter's confident brush strokes and strong application of paint.
The Deerfield Academy graduate started on a path to become an English major, despite the fact that his father is a successful professional artist. "It was wonderful to have him there," he says. "I had all the sensibilities brewing, but I came into it later."
Now he appreciates being able to use his dad as a resource. "It's such slippery ground out there," he says of the professional art world.
Mr. Shattuck studied at Rhode Island School of Design, but it wasn't until he visited Cornell University and fell in love with it that he applied to the Art and Architecture School there. While he enrolled in several English courses, the painting took over and he emerged with a degree in Fine Arts.
Birds hold an abiding fascination for the artist, and his undergraduate studies include an ornithology concentration. He has participated several times in Cornell's tern restoration program at its Shoals Marine Laboratory on Maine's Appledore Island, where he returned on a grant to study the common eider this spring. A number of his bird portraits will appear at the Craven Gallery.
The young artist has managed to pack a lot into a relatively short period of time. He studied painting in Rome and held a residency at Rocky Neck Artist's Colony in Gloucester. He also taught in Australia for a year at the Timbertop ninth grade campus of Geelong Grammar School northeast of Melbourne. He recently moved from Boston to Brooklyn, N.Y., where he shares a studio.
Exposure to urban environments have impacted Mr. Shattuck's artistic focus. "I was not outside in this incredible southeastern Massachusetts landscape, so my paintings became microcosms," he says. "Everything got scaled down."
Some of his recent still lifes, expected to be in the show, include "Feather in a Glass Bottle," "Two Candles Sharing a Flame" and "Wishbone Casting a Shadow."
Mr. Shattuck attributes his limited palette to the sensibility he acquired by growing up in southeastern Massachusetts and experiencing its many gray days.
Many of his paintings incorporate very dark backgrounds, a response to his six months of studying in Italy. "It allowed me to see the brushstrokes pop out," he says. He calls his dark backgrounds an incredible tool that allowed him to see the image come together. He has recently transitioned to employing lighter backgrounds.
Literature, in particular 19th century American writers like Poe and Melville, continues to carry his interest. "Sea novels really attract me," says Mr. Shattuck, who also plays banjo and guitar.
Mr. Shattuck is connected to the Vineyard through numerous friends and acquaintances, and he frequently paints Island landscapes with Allen Whiting. Mr. Whiting, in return, visits the senior Shattuck household and paints in South Dartmouth.
The young artist considers Ms. Craven a great guide and a mentor. "She really pays attention," he says. "She's a real people person, and she's been fantastic."
Artists' reception for Ben Shattuck, Derek Buckner, John Evans, and Gary Mottau, at Carol Craven Gallery, Vineyard Haven, Friday, July 3, from 5 to 7 pm.
