Upcoming Solo Show — fine artist Dennis Ryan

WHEN: March 25th to April 23rd, 2011
WHERE: Gallery On High, Pottstown, PA

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Upcoming artist show in Pottstown, PA, at The Gallery On High, called "A Journey Through Anxiety".

As a fine artist in 2010, I had my artwork in art shows, on TV, on the front page of the newspaper and even on the radio! And these are all great, but I have a feeling that this upcoming combination of education and fine art show will top all I did in 2010, because it could actually help people.

And the way it will work is: I will go to The Gallery On High's school component about a month before the show and I will give a talk... hold an education session for an hour or so. In a sense, this is where I sit down with folks, of various age groups, that have been diagnosed with mental disorders/mental challenges — been given the 'labels' (i.e. Schizophrenia, anxiety, OCD, depression — a lot of these people are even on medications), and I will introduce traditional art examples to them, even show a few of the popular artists of the last century, and then go on to promote that this is not the ONLY definition of what art is or can be. My goal of this talk is to demonstrate arts usefulness as a tool: to help alleviate anxiety, to express abstract thoughts, to access its therapeutic benefits. Especially with respect to anxiety; in addition to tools like communication (talking about mental issues with someone), medication, deep breathing, etc., art can be an additional - powerful - tool to help and/or simply exercise the mind (AKA mental health).

I will then talk about my process as an artist and show a piece or two of my fine art. The group will then start to think about how they can use these techniques to create works that can alleviate or desensitize their anxieties, mental discomforts and disorders. They will then make their art on (estimated) 20'' x 20" canvases.

I will return to the school for another 1 hour group session to see what they created and to talk about the successes of such.

So here's my synopsis of how the session will likely go:

1. What is Art - dispel the traditional thoughts and show diversity - visual presentation - projection... some images - Van Gogh, Close, Pollock (5 min)
   
2. My work, [it] as art, concepts - my process, how art can help the mind, any mind (example: to desensitize oneself to ones fears). (10 min)
   
3. My process - abstract thought/concept, sketch it out/development, ideas for implementation, create, final piece. (15 min)
4. Q & A - ask "clients" what 'thoughts' they would like to 'see'? Abstract - to - tangible. Out in the open... exposed... easier to deal with, talk about. How can best convey these with art? What mediums? What technique/style? (30 min)
5. Students start their pieces.
6. Critique, discussion and wrap up. (1 hour)

For more information on the show: http://www.galleryonhigh.com/events.html

3 Faucets Triptych has been accepted for upcoming show—O.C.D

A few months back I got an invitation to submit my art to an upcoming exhibition in NE, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

I came across your website through a basic Google search for artists related to this topic, and I enjoy your work quite a bit. I will be co-curating this exhibition and I feel your "OCD Art" series of works would be a perfect match. The show opens on Friday, November 5, 2010 and will run for approximately one month.

Since the show is right up my 'alley' and aims to help raise awareness and educate its audience as to what OCD is, I obviously said yes.

I just got word last week that my artwork was accepted and will span approximately 9 feet of wall space. I submitted a brand new version of 3 Faucets for this show. It is a Triptych (collection of 3 giclee prints of 3 Faucets hung together) that will drive home the obsessive compulsive concepts by having three in a row; to repeat the repetitiveness of the compulsions people experience.

A mock-up of the piece is shown below:
More information on the show:
Opening Reception
Friday, November 5, 2010 - 7pm-10pm
http://www.alteredesthetics.com/events/72
Altered Esthetics
1224 Quincy St NE
Minneapolis, MN
612.378.8888

My art, The OCD Project & The Sunday News

I, well, mostly my art, got a brilliant writeup in The Lancaster [PA] Sunday News this past Father's Day.

The article was penned by Stephen Kopfinger; who did a great article on OCD Camp (with Dr. Oz and Philadelphia anxiety expert Dr. Jonathan Grayson). OCD Camp was a special, similar to that of The OCD Project, that ran on Oprah in 2008.

My favorite excerpt from the article was probably this:

"Those levels tie together in such works as "3 Faucets," which at first blush looks like a benign, if abstract, representation of folded hands. But in the light of OCD: Are those hands clasped in prayer and contemplation, or engaged in frantic washing? The painting (actually a giclée print of the original) hangs prominently on a hallway wall in the house."

But there were so many snippets from the news correspondent that I enjoyed. Thanks Stephen and The Lancaster Sunday News team!

Just launched TheOCDProject.com

Your definitive source for all things OCD Project: theocdproject.com

The OCD Project—art, artist, artwork

The images below are of the actual giclée prints that were picked to be on The OCD Project.

Three of the five prints have already been acquired by some of The OCD Project's staff. The remaining two — exclusively signed and tagged with the show name — are available. If you are interested in seeing these prints or the original paintings then use this contact form to facilitate your request. This is a rare opportunity to own my artwork via archival prints; because I typically do not make prints of my fine art.

This Vh1 documentary OCD project follows 6 individuals, who suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder, around while they engage in their rituals and compulsive behavior. I believe the show is a total culmination of 10 episodes, and will premiere May 27th, 2010 @ 10PM Eastern Standard Time. As far as I know the total time these folks were in treatment at the house, with Dr. David Tolin, was about 3 weeks.

For the record, I am thrilled to have my OCD art immortalized on such a fantastically wonderful endeavor: helping suffers of this mentally exhausting disorder find relief through ERP (exposure with response prevention therapy).

You can read more about my OCD Project here.