10 Questions with Stephen Von Mason

Stephen Von Mason was born in South Bend, Indiana in 1954. As a child, he had a fondness for drawing and painting rodeo riders and football stars, a passion that persisted through his High School years. With a clear ambition to become a professional artist, Stephen pursued his dreams by enrolling at the John Herron School of Art in Indianapolis upon completing High School, where he earned a BFA in printmaking. Recognizing the importance of further education, he applied to the San Francisco Institute of Art and was awarded a scholarship.

During his time at the Art Institute from 1977 to 1979, Stephen was fortunate to be exposed to renowned visiting artists such as Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, David Hockney, and Merce Cunningham. Additionally, he encountered Angela Davis, a prominent teacher specializing in women's studies. These experiences left a profound impact on Stephen, shaping his artistic journey.

Upon completing his MFA in printmaking and painting at the SF Art Institute, Stephen transitioned from printmaking to painting, finding it a more direct and fulfilling medium. Throughout the vibrant atmosphere of the 1980s, he embarked on a journey of exhibitions and publications, including three children's books, one of which, "Brother Anansi and the Cattle Ranch," draws from the folklore of the Ashanti tribe of West Africa.

While establishing himself as an artist, Stephen also maintained employment as an artisan in Museums and Galleries, ensuring a steady income. Eventually, he transitioned into education, becoming an eighth-grade middle school art teacher until his retirement two years ago. Notably, in 2012, Stephen was invited by President Barack Obama to showcase his art department at the Presidents Committee of the Arts and Humanities, an event chaired by Michelle Obama.

Stephen's artistic endeavors extend beyond exhibitions and teaching; he actively participates in international competitions, garnering recognition with four recent awards. He currently resides in Vallejo, California, in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, where he paints primarily in oils on large canvases, infused with elements of his culture and a quest for cultural healing.

As a widower, retired art teacher, and practicing artist, Stephen Von Mason continues to dedicate himself to his craft, drawing inspiration from art history while pushing the boundaries of his own creativity.

vonmasonart.com | @masaivon

ARTIST STATEMENT

“I'm striving to make art that creates a response and evokes a desperately needed challenge. My stylized work revolves around showcasing excellence and promoting cultural healing. My work constantly pushes for love and rebuilding because of past mishappenings and an unnatural current setting. My imagery has intense color and a sense of emergency indicative of what is needed for rebuilding a cultural lobotomy. My figurative paintings attempt to push specific scenarios through subject matter that is provocative and sometimes uncomfortable. The act of painting, for me, is about problem-solving, showcasing, storytelling, and beauty. Equity and equality are very important components in my community, so I am always speaking to these elements and dynamics.

I have a strong connection with sculpture, architecture, and structural engineering as much as I am connected to painters like Kerry James Marshall, Oliver Lee Jackson, and Sandro Chia. Because I am an untold storyteller and history painter, I strongly need to produce paintings that reflect my passion. This will always be the case because it is what moves me. Like in the film "Sankofa," it is imperative that I continue to pursue my purpose because my ancestors need to know that I am continuing this mission.” — Stephen Von Mason

INTERVIEW

First of all, tell us about your background. When did you start getting involved with visual arts, and how?                                

I was born in South Bend, Indiana, in 1954. As a child, I loved to draw and paint rodeo riders and football stars, which carried over into High School. Even as a young man, I knew I always wanted to be a professional artist, so at the end of High School, I was accepted into John Herron School of Art in Indianapolis, where I received a BFA in printmaking. I understood that I probably needed more education, so I applied to the San Francisco Institute of Art and was accepted with a scholarship. The Art Institute was a wonderful place to go to school because they had the best visiting artist program ever. I attended the institute from 1977 to 1979, and we had incredible visiting artists like Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, David Hockney, and Merce Cunningham all at the same time. We also had a very famous teacher there who taught women's studies, named Angela Davis. This was all so very impactful for me, and it helped mold me into the artist I am today. While still living in San Francisco, I graduated from the SF Art Institute with an MFA in printmaking, and I minored in painting.                   

Your background is in printmaking. What inspired you to pursue a career in the art field? 

I was born with a God Given talent, and I knew at a young age that I wanted to be a professional artist. When I was in High School, I started dreaming about being an artist of note and buckled down to get myself into Art School and then Grad School.                 

How would you define yourself as an artist nowadays, and what is your personal aim? 

I am a figurative and history painter/sculptor with a commitment to encourage, celebrate, and heal my community. It is also important for me to have universal appeal and reach a global community. My personal goal is for my artwork to reach Art Museum permanent collections, more private collections, and Blue Chip Gallery representation.            

Nowadays, you work with both painting and sculptures. How do you choose which medium works best for a certain project? And what do these different mediums represent for you? 

Yes, this is true, and I love sculpture so much that I have to be disciplined to balance things out and get back to my painting. I usually create the titles for the pieces in a series and let the content of the piece dictate if it will be a sculpture or a painting. Like which medium will convey my voice the best? I've noticed that it just comes naturally, and I act on it. The different mediums represent two varied ways of expressing the same ideas. Sculpture is closer to reality because it is three dimensional, and we see the world in 3 dimensions. Painting is more stylized and an illusion where you are trying to translate a 3-dimensional world into two dimensions.

Let's talk about your color palette. You use vibrant colors in your paintings. How do you choose them? Do they have any specific meaning of reference? 

It's a vibe that I have when choosing my color combinations. I will think about the content of some pieces and choose the colors I think best represent the flavor of the piece. Sometimes, I have the color palette already worked out before I start the piece, like warm or cool colors, monochromatic, or juxtaposing warm and cool. The vibrant colors are cultural and natural, so I express them to the best of my abilities. Only sometimes will the colors I choose have specific meanings for a particular topic. In terms of reference, every now and then, there could be a reference from Classic Masters like Gauguin or a particular idea where I need the color to represent the reality of the subject matter. 

How did you come up with your style? And what messages do you want to convey? 

My style has developed over the years from abstract figurative to hard-edge figurative. A recent series I did titled - "Something All Our Own: The Creation of a Fine Arts Museum" was a hard-edge series that spoke to the need of the African American arts community to build a bonafide Fine Arts Museum. It is similar to the Guggenheim Museum, which has a diversified permanent collection/exhibitions and diversified one- and two-person exhibitions. That is a dream of mine that I hope will come to fruition one day soon. My message is always the same, and it shows up in different forms. It's about Cultural Healing, transforming pain into strength while celebrating Black Excellence, Black Love, and the Beauty that lies within our Culture.

In your statement, you mention how the act of painting is, for you, "about problem-solving, showcasing, storytelling, and beauty." How do you incorporate these elements in your work? 

Though I am shooting for universal appeal and acceptance, the challenge and mission for me are personal. I am constantly trying to celebrate and uplift my community in various ways. In my current series - "Broken," I am taking on some of the tougher, more uncomfortable issues in my community. In the previous series, "Cultural Healing," I showcased Black Excellence and spoke about untold stories like Hidden Figures. Beauty is very important to me because of how we entered this country of America. It is important to showcase because of the ugliness of which we came from. Strangers in a Land that is not Ours. Promoting Black Love is at the forefront of this Beauty element because it is imperative to our very existence in America.

You already have a long career and have been active for several decades. How do you promote your work? And what do you think about the art community and market? 

When I was younger, I was very relentless in exhibiting my work, traveling, and trying to get my work seen by Museums. I was somewhat successful in showing in prestigious galleries in San Francisco and in New York City in Chelsea, to name a few. After some years off due to personal challenges, I reentered the Art scene in 2019, and it has been very tough, although lately, I am receiving a nice amount of attention. I compete a lot in International Art Competitions with purpose and intended results. Hoping to be recognized and invited to more venues. I love the art community and the market, but I just have to stay focused so I can achieve my ultimate goals.

Is there anything else you would like to achieve career-wise? Do you have any projects you have been meaning to start? 

I would like to start winning very important prestigious Grants for Artists like Pollock Krasner, Hopper Prize, etc., grants that would open some eyes to my work. Also, I would like to sell more even though 2024 has started off as a very good year for sales. In terms of projects I have been meaning to start, the answer is none because my hands have been full for a while with the two series I'm working on now moving in between them. I have six paintings to complete for my 20-piece series titled 'Cultural Healing" - 12 paintings and six sculptures and a very new 14-piece series titled "Broken" where I have six sculptures completed already.

Finally, where can our readers find your works next? Do you have any upcoming exhibitions or publications? 

I am currently included in a Virtual Exhibition at the Omnibus Gallery in Dresden, Germany, titled "Figuration," and I am also in a physical sculpture exhibit titled "Sculpture and Assemblage - An Exploration", at the Marin Society of Artists Gallery in San Raphael, California, USA.

Artist’s Talk

Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.