Paul Branton
Biography
Paul Branton was born in 1973 in Chicago. He was influenced at an early age by the sights and sounds of the South Side's urban environment. Writing short stories and putting on plays with his sister quickly became a passion and a means of expressing himself. It was this passion that guided his education, which ultimately guided his career.
Choosing visual art as his main focus, he entered Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois, majoring in Commercial Art with a strong emphasis in painting. It was at Millikin where he also discovered a love for poetry, a strong desire for painting, eventually putting on a one man art exhibit displaying his works. During these same years, he also helped his college buddy Skee Skinner with several student film projects, opening up another doorway from which to express himself. Not only taking on writing and production credits, Paul spent much of his time on both sides of the camera playing supporting and lead roles.
He recently combined the two art forms by creating a series of paintings for the feature film Pieces of a Dream, in which he also portrayed a main character. Also merging visual art and poetry, Paul put together the upcoming coffee table book To Dream in Color.
The art of Paul Branton is/has been exhibited throughout Illinois, including Millikin University, South Side Community Art Center, Gallery Guichard, University of Illinois at Chicago, Gallery D’Estee, Phoenix Gallery and Hyde Park Art Center. His work hangs in the homes of private owners from New York to Los Angeles.
Artist Statement Heading link
The intimate moments in life are the most attractive to me: more specifically, the urban lifestyle, which revolves around this beautiful love story of flesh among concrete and rusted steel. I capture these moments with gestural painting, exploring the relationship between people and their environment. The broad expressive strokes balanced with purposeful lines mimics the complexity of life. Often times adding words, poetry or commentary to challenge social or political concerns; at the same time challenging critical thinking and forcing viewers to figure out where they fit into this world if at all.”