On the weekend of April 10th, Moravian College psychology major Garrett Flanagan ’21 held his first ever art exhibition at Brook Hollow Winery in Columbia, NJ. 

Featuring over 40 pieces, Flanagan showcased his talent for abstract and neo- expressionist art reminiscent of great American artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Genesis Tramaine. 

A born creative, Flanagan spends the majority of his time outside of school working towards perfecting his craft. 

During a particularly slow day working at the winery, owner Paul Ritter spotted Flanagan drawing abstract faces and figures on the wine boxes behind the counter. Impressed by his work, Ritter requested to see more before ultimately offering Garrett a chance to showcase his art as one of the winery’s annual events. 

Many of the pieces in the show demonstrate Flanagan’s strong use of directional and expressive line, scale, and anomaly, They juxtapose broad or large scale objects with small and minute details, which make for a strong contrast and interesting arrangement. 

“Generally, I like to categorize the artwork as a form of process painting where the therapeutic process of creation is more significant than the outcome of the painting itself,” said  Flanagan in reference to his artistic process.

The exhibit also displayed Flanagan’s ability to work with a variety of mediums, such as acrylic, watercolor, ink, and oil pastel on canvas, paper, and even blank skateboard decks. 

Several drawing pads full of sketches and watercolors, CDs filled with self-composed music, and custom-made stickers were on display as well. 

His work spanned an entire wall inside the winery’s event facility and drew the attention of regulars and first-time visitors alike. 

In speaking to Flanagan I asked him about his view of art as a medium of expression, to which he appropriately related an individual’s experience with art to that of tasting different varieties of wine. Depending on the person, they might taste different flavor notes in a sip of wine, just as one might interpret something completely different from someone else when viewing a piece of art.

“I think what I appreciate in art is that everyone can have their own perspective,” said Flanagan. “You can have a completely individual and unique experience of a publicly accessible works of art.”

After a successful show and looking towards the future, Flanagan said he, “hope[s] to have more shows on the way and to one day own [his] own art gallery.”

To check out some of Garrett’s work, visit motleygarb.com.