Background
Connor Klein
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About Me.
Connor Klein is a 2D mixed media artist creating illustrative and stylized pieces incorporating the various aspects of fishing; mental state, gear, and wildlife. His primary media are graphite, charcoal, and colored pencil. Klein received a best of show award at the Rogers Art Conference, the River valley arts center collegiate competition, and two first place prizes at the AYAA Conference. He was awarded the Most Outstanding art student at the University of the Ozarks and the Pike artist Award. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri and was raised in Bentonville, Arkansas. He is currently completing his Bachelor of Science in Art and Business Administration degree at the University of the Ozarks. Klein has been making art his entire life and is currently embedding his passion for the outdoors within his artworks. He plans to make positive changes in the outdoors by promoting conservation efforts through his artwork.
Artist Statement
The inspiration behind my artwork is my passion for fishing and how it relaxes me. Fishing puts me into a meditative state. While I am fishing the overwhelming thoughts of life disappear as the act of fishing takes over. My artwork combines multiple visual perspectives from dreamlike spaces, thoughts, to more realistic aspects. My artworks consist of graphite, marker, charcoal, college, and colored pencil drawings.
The artwork was created with design in mind, to help show the thoughts and feelings perceived while fishing. The artwork consists of three main subjects, the act of fishing, the various species of fish, and the baits used to catch them. The subject of fish symbolizes the target or goal in mind. The fish you chase after, all live in different environments, have specific attitudes, and various coloration. The baits represent intrusive or overwhelming thoughts creeping into the tranquil experience. The baits are represented in a graphic style, to depict a more physical presence.
In life you have many choices as in fishing: The bait, the style of fishing, the targeted species, the cast, the location, or time. The choices you make are up to you, but if you think too much you ruin the experience you set out to have. The combination of all three subjects create a dreamlike state to represent where your mind escapes. My more surrealistic piece, SeaSick incorporates all three subjects to show the appreciation for the beauty of each fish in their environment, and the mental states that can be experienced. The fish floats above me just out of reach, as the baits are scattered directly below creating a sense of reality and control.
I was born in Missouri and grew up in North West Arkansas. Since I can remember I found any chance I could to escape to a body of water. Fishing taught me many things about myself and has allowed me to learn not just about the environment of the water, but the entire natural ecosystem. Fishing has had a massive impact in my development of patience. Fishing was initially about catching fish, but I now appreciate the act. It has transformed into an art form and escape.
Connor Klein, 2023
