Steve Gavenas

I am drawn to dichotomies and juxtapositions, patterns and layers, snarly swirling webs, puzzles, maps and charts. My life has been quite diverse, with some planned outcomes and a lot of random turns—and I don’t take myself too seriously. Working mostly in painting and drawing, I treat each work as an open-ended journey that explores questions, suspicions, theories, myths, absurdities, and concerns about life and art to generate what I might call shrines of uncertainty. I set up loose structures that allow for the introduction of pre-thought concepts, reactions to what happens, and random marks. I’m compelled to combine phrases and imagery in mapping and charting motifs.
I grew up in Miami, studied art, then traveled and made art around the world for many years, working in Greece, Iran, and Thailand. I spent a long time working in the business world, including consulting and a start-up, with art remaining a constant devotion. I started a family and eventually returned to art full time.