Brian O'Connor (March 2, 1958 – August 15, 2022) was an American visual artist, who worked in a

surrealistic Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to l ...

style. A documentary film, ''Painting Grey,'' was made about his work and life. He lived and collaborated with his wife, Iva, in the small town of

Veguita, New Mexico Veguita is a census-designated place in Socorro County, New Mexico, United States. Its population was 232 as of the 2010 census. Veguita has a post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such ...

Early life and education

O'Connor was born on March 2, 1958 to Mikey and John O'Connor, in

Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

, where he was also raised. He attended college in the late 1970s at the Centro Andino in Quito, Ecuador, where he first became interested in art. In 1983 he received a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree from the

University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...

Career

O'Connor's paintings have been described as

socio-political Political sociology is an interdisciplinary field of study concerned with exploring how governance and society interact and influence one another at the micro to macro levels of analysis. Interested in the social causes and consequences of how ...

narratives. He renders figurative subjects within enigmatic situations. O'Connor has described his work as "the beautiful mess" of "grappling with the world" and attempting to make sense of it. The art writer, Diane Armitage wrote of O'Connor's work, “O’Connor is a gifted realist painter whose increasingly dark vision continues to expand as he adds to his narrative of millennial observations...what O’Connor does in his work is pose questions about our complicity with the forces of degradation that seem to increasingly govern our fate.” He has exhibited his work nationally in museums and galleries including the

Albuquerque Museum The Albuquerque Museum, formerly known as the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History, is a public art and history museum in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The museum is located in the Old Town area and is operated by the City of Albuquerque Department of ...

, the Harwood Museum, the

New Mexico Museum of Fine Arts The New Mexico Museum of Art is an art museum in Santa Fe governed by the state of New Mexico. It is one of four state-run museums in Santa Fe that are part of the Museum of New Mexico. It is located at 107 West Palace Avenue, one block off the ...

, the

San Antonio Museum of Art The San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) is an art museum in Downtown San Antonio, Texas, USA. The museum spans 5,000 years of global culture. The museum is housed in the historic former Lone Star Brewery (1886) on the Museum Reach of the San Antonio ...

, the Riverside Museum of Art among other venues.

Honors and awards

From 1985 through 1987, O'Connor received several grants from the New Mexico Artist in Residence Program to work in various sites. In 1990, he received a joint fellowship from the Western States Arts Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Collections

O'Connor's works are held in the permanent collection of the

New Mexico Museum of Art The New Mexico Museum of Art is an art museum in Santa Fe governed by the state of New Mexico. It is one of four state-run museums in Santa Fe that are part of the Museum of New Mexico. It is located at 107 West Palace Avenue, one block off the ...

. His painting, ''93 Million Miles,'' was held in the

Bernalillo County Bernalillo County () is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Mexico.Bernalillo Co ...

public art collection from which it was stolen and never recovered.

Documentary film

In 2020, a documentary film, ''Painting Grey,'' by Ann Bromberg, was made about O'Connor's work, and how

posterior cortical atrophy Posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), also called Benson's syndrome, is a rare form of dementia which is considered a visual variant or an atypical variant of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The disease causes atrophy of the posterior part of the cerebral ...

, a progressive brain disorder, has affected his artistic practice and daily life.

Personal life and death

O'Connor was married to the painter Iva Morris. They had two children. He died on August 15, 2022, at the age of 64.

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oconnor, Brian 1958 births 2022 deaths People from Albuquerque, New Mexico 20th-century American artists 21st-century American artists American painters University of New Mexico alumni