STEPHEN J. TYSON, SR.
Statement
From my “pattern paintings” to the more recent shaped wooden panels and digital photographs, I have drawn inspiration from a diverse range of artists in the field of music, including Tuvan Throat Singers, Miles Davis, and King Sunny Ade.
On the visual side, Australian Aboriginal art, African textile designs, Islamic geometric patterns, stain-glass windows, and New York City graffiti are among the many forms of human expression that continue to intrigue me. Recent explorations in photomicroscopy, and celestial discoveries as revealed through the Hubble Telescope, have also contributed to my relentless curiosity about life. The visual forms revealed from these areas of science reinforce my appreciation for the connection between the micro- and the macrocosm, a relationship also acknowledged by artists of antiquity. I feel linked to this mysterious blend of past and present cultures, sight and sound, nature, science, and spirituality. I am delighted to share with you these works produced along my artistic journey.
STEPHEN J. TYSON, SR.
STEPHEN J. TYSON, SR. was born and raised in New York City. Tyson graduated from the High School of Music & Art and attended the Art Students League of New York where he studied with Isaac Soyer and Gustav Rehberger. Initially enrolled at the Rhode Island School of Design, Tyson went on to earn his BFA from Manhattanville College and MFA from the City College of New York. Tyson later received the Manhattanville Distinguished Alumni in the Arts award.
He was tenured as an art teacher with the New York City Board of Education and as an associate professor of studio art and art history at the University of Pittsburgh in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He has been a fine arts faculty member at Siena College, SUNY-Albany, Union College, SUNY-Adirondack, and he is currently an Instructor of Fine Arts at SUNY-Schenectady, where he received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.
In 1988 and 1995, he was awarded Fulbright-Hays Fellowships to study in Nigeria and in Namibia and Botswana, respectively. Those experiences further inspired his interest in pattern design, evident in a series of paintings and drawings he has continued to produce since 1994. He has also drawn inspiration from the field of cellular biology, astronomy, illuminated manuscripts, Australian Aboriginal art, the mural designs of the Kassena in West Africa, digital photography, and music, among other sources.
In the 21st century, Tyson’s work has been featured at venues such as the New York State Museum, the Schenectady Museum (now miSci), Arts Center of the Capital Region, Albany Center Gallery, Saratoga Arts, and the National Black Fine Art Show (NBFAS) in New York City, and is included in the collections of the New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the Schenectady Museum (miSci), Hudson Valley Community College, Siena College, as well as in numerous private collections.
Mr. Tyson has also served as a curator, lecturer, arts consultant, panelist (including NYSCA’s Special Arts Services), reviewer, moderator, and gallery assistant and, with his son, currently co-hosts the Style Free Podcast, which explores a wide variety of interesting topics in music, art, family, and culture.