Buffalo Rising Online

May 23rd 2007, 6:00pm By Alex Kelly

Fun, zany, entertaining and just plain weird are a few words that describe some of the artists we will see this year at Hallwalls' Artists and Models “Nocterminal” event; a fund raiser to support Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center.

Our first interview was with visual artist and connoisseur of the sensual, Sean McGarry. Upon entering Sean's studio, I was besieged by an exquisite collection of erotic artwork. Beautiful paintings of equally beautiful women indulging themselves in various pleasures of the flesh, made me feel as though I had stepped into some kind of alternate universe. This was an atmosphere of fearless self expression and moral immunity, an environment that demands a laissez faire attitude from even its toughest critic.

Buffalo Rising: Would you classify your work as art for experiment or art for entertainment?

McGarry: Entertainment. I once read somewhere that art provides what life cannot. I mean that's what makes it exciting; that's why people go to galleries or the theater. It's so that they can see someone expressing themselves in an interesting way. I like entertaining, I like throwing a good party, that's what I do.

Buffalo Rising: Tell us what you call this?

McGarry: Well, Jeff Coons, one of my absolute favorite artists once said “If you follow your interests, you will never be at a loss for new ideas.” My interests are a bit self explanatory. My art is for people who want to see something a little more edgy, a little taboo.

Buffalo Rising: So is this some kind of rebel art then?

McGarry: No No No, this is nothing new. The idea of sex and women in art has been around since .. you know, a cave man picked up a dirty stick and rubbed it on a wall! So I'm really not breaking any ground here. This is just my version. If someone said “Make a pizza, here are the ingredients...”. People have been making pizza's forever, this is the pizza I made.

Buffalo Rising: These are not your typical nudes. Some might say that you are objectifying women in your art. What do you say to the person who will look at your paintings and see exploitation?

McGarry: I would like to meet that person and see how they actually live. I would like to find out why they would choose to project their fears onto something like a painting. I am showing no abuse. Everyone I paint is at that perfect moment of enjoying themselves. There is no suffering; that's not sexy! Everyone in these paintings is there because they want to be and it's beautiful. There is something very powerful in being beautiful.

Buffalo Rising: What can we expect to see at Artists and Models in June?

McGarry: Well, its called Artists and Models, so I kinda want both. The theme is “Noc-terminal” so I'm going to take you through what I feel is an interesting night.

Buffalo Rising: How are you expecting people to react to your work?

McGarry: I want them to be pulled into it. I want it to be seen as attractive, that's like the highest goal for me. I want the viewer to look at my paintings and feel that kind of swelling on theinside of them. It is something very primal, very raw.