WEST PALM BEACH (February 28, 2012) - Artist and part time Palm Beach resident Austin Manchester will unveil The Curious World Art of Austin Manchester in the galleries of the Ann Norton Sculpture Garden April 4 through April 29 with a member and guest artist reception Wednesday, April 11 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Manchester, who has exhibited throughout the world, has set up his painting studio on the north end of Palm Beach, where in addition to his surreal and figurative works, he is also exploring the landscapes and unique quality of Florida’s tropical location. Born in the United States, Austin Manchester spent his formative years living in Kenya, France, Switzerland, Nova Scotia and New England and lives in Palm Beach and the south of France.
Growing up in a family of famous artisans, Manchester was encouraged from an early age by his mother, Carolina Casperson, to find an avenue for his own creative expression. Carolina, who is a singer songwriter recording under the name Serah, also lives in Palm Beach. Manchester’s sister, Grace, is also a singer songwriter with hit records in France, where she lives in close proximity to her brother’s family in the summer months.
Living in the south of France allows Manchester to submerse himself into the deep history of painting. “Within a small radius from where we live I can see the works of many great masters such as Courbet, Gauguin and Bazille as well as trek deep into caves and see pictographs which were painted 12,000 years ago. Studying and being inspired by life is ongoing and I love surrounding myself with the beauty and history which the Midi provides.” Several of the paintings on exhibit at the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens include Manchester’s interpretation of the pictographs, as well as inspirations from the sea while living in Palm Beach.
Although a spirited adventurer, Manchester sought a formal education at the University of California, San Diego in the visual arts and continued with art studies in Cologne, Germany where he learned the craft necessary to create his expressive works. Married to Carmen Manchester, the couple have three children that are being educated multi-culturally in the United States and France, carrying on the tradition of fostering self-expression.
Manchester's work is often compared with the paintings of the great Symbolist master, Odilon Redon (1840-1914), as they share a sense of timelessness, while simultaneously capturing the mysteries of life. Similar to Redon’s work, Austin’s paintings inspire and are not to be defined. There are threads of similarity, as well, between his work and that of late 19th - early 20th century artist Louis Eilshemius. Both these artists instill a lyrical element of fantasy and succeed at painting what at first glance seems the egoless character of naive art, but with longer viewing open like a door to reveal penetrating depth of thought and layered painterly action that is deeply engaging to the viewer.
Says the artist, "I seek to gather and shape light with pigments, resins, oils and pure Higgs particles. As well as a driving force for me, this can have a profound effect for the viewer. My paintings incorporate smooth line counterbalanced by organic texture. The texture adds life and movement." Although very strong, the paintings have no sense of guile. They are painted with obvious enjoyment and careful attention and are easily viewed in the same manner.
Manchester’s works have exhibited at the Galerie Vidourle Prix, in Sauve France; Galerie Bout du Monde in Saint Hippolyte du Fort, France, and throughout the U.S. and Europe in cities including New York, San Francisco, and Paris, as well as being held in numerous private collections both here and abroad.
The Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, Inc. is a recognized 501 (c) (3) operating foundation established in 1977 by the prominent sculptor Ann Weaver Norton (1905-1982). The gardens are conveniently located at 253 Barcelona Road, at the corner of Flagler Drive in West Palm Beach, FL. The rare palm and sculpture gardens, exhibition galleries and artist studio are currently open Wednesday-Sunday. 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
To view the works of Austin Manchester online, please visit: www.austinmanchester.com.
If you would like more information on The Curious World Art of Austin Manchester in the galleries of the Ann Norton Sculpture Garden or to schedule an interview, please call Linda Soper at (612) 308-4159 or email: linda@lindalanemarketing.
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