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!

Why do you wear the chemical suit and gas mask?

More and more I get this question... Why the suit and mask Dennis?

The answer is in the audio of this recent radio interview I did with Chris Wakefield on Into The Night. If you don't have 45 minutes to listen to the entire broadcast, then the specific answer is @ 19:54.

Dennis Ryan Interview

Dennis Ryan interviewed by a GCSE student from London, England, United Kingdom, UK

Dennis, I am a student studying GCSE art. For my exam I have to produce a sketchbook and final piece on a chosen subject. I have chosen to study fears, phobias and superstitions. One of the criteria is to have written essays on at least three artists of choice. I was hoping to be able to get a short interview from you discussing yourself and your work regarding phobias to help me in writing this essay.

1. Where did you grow up and study at school?
   
   I grew up on the south side of Easton, Pennsylvania, and studied art, to be a fine artist, at two different colleges: Pennsylvania College of Art & Design and Millersville University.
   
   
2. Have you always shown such a strong interest in art, and intended to follow it as a career path?
   
   Yes and no. The interest has always been there, but it is actually more than an interest. Being artistic and creative is part of who I am; there is no way around it. So with all that said, I never really thought of what I do as a career... even when I make money at it. It is just what I do, because I am undoubtedly compelled to.
   
   
3. What lead you to art related to phobias and disorders?
   
   The profoundly interesting stories in my head and the desire to get them out create the concepts of my paintings.
   
   
4. Is there a history of any strong phobias or disorders in your family?
   
   Interesting question, but frankly - it doesn’t matter. In fact when you look at my art Dennis Ryan doesn’t even matter. The concepts are so much bigger than any one person or single family. These artistically expressed concepts are what matter most.
   
   
5. Do you have any phobias yourself, if so can you talk to me about them, do you gain inspiration from your own phobias?
   
   Same answer as above #4.
   
   
6. Regarding your line of work with the subject ‘phobias’ can you explain any symbolism you have included for example the use of cows?
   
   Divinity; innocence; perception; factory farming; phobias: meat, parasites, etc.
   
   
7. I understand you have drawn on experiences of phobias of others for these pieces, are there any specific cases which you have found affect you more deeply than others?
   
   Not really, but if I really think hard about it I would say that stories about youth suffering mentally impact me more than any others. It is a blessing to be young and have fun.
   
   
8. Are there any influential mentors or artists you have taken styles or ideas from, or who have affected your personal artistic career in any way?
   
   No. I purposefully stay a bit ignorant to the contemporary side of art and artists. What others are doing is irrelevant to my art and concepts. It would hold little importance, and be purely coincidental, if my art were ever compared to someone else’s.
   
   
9. Can you describe yourself in one sentence?
   
   No. Well maybe, but it would be a really long and complicated sentence.
   
   
10. If you could meet any one person, who would it be and why?
    
    Another good question that I never really considered, so – off the cuff – I would say Picasso; but, oddly enough he died 10 days before I was born, so doubt that will happen any time soon; unless one believes in reincarnation, then maybe I already know him.
    
    
11. Which is your favorite piece of art done by another artist and why?
    
    Never really thought about it... but now that I am thinking about it... I would say Pablo Picasso’s - The Old Guitarist; because it is so blue, and I stood about a foot away from the original when I was living in the Chicago, Il. area (The Art Institute of Chicago actual hangs it in a kind of claustrophobic feeling hallway/corner area, which luckily, forces the audience to get a incredibly close look!)
    
    
12. And finally, which is your favorite artwork of your own and why?
    
    Sensational - my most recent painting. And maybe my excitement about this piece is that it is freshest in my mind, or maybe because it is the first of my concepts to segue into video art, or maybe it is just sensational.

Email from up and coming artist in Birmingham

comments: Hi Dennis I am an A-Level art student in Birmingham, and for my A2 year, I am doing a project on OCD and I came across your work.

The pieces you have created really inspired me and I was just wondering if I could ask you some questions? How long have you been interested in art? What inspired you to do your work on OCD? What artists inspired you with your work? Thank you for your time, It would be a great help to hear back from you! Thanks.

---

1. How long have you been interested in art? Since the late 70s... so I reckon my entire life. I find it hard to comprehend that there is anyone in existence that isn't interested in art. Art is divine!


2. What inspired you to do your work on OCD? Evolution. Phobias are my earliest artworks, but then phobias seamlessly evolved into the OCD concepts. As a conceptual artist I find psychological disorders profoundly interesting.


3. What artists inspired you with your work? Experience and knowledge inspire my work more than anything else. But my favorite artists are Goya, Picasso and Warhol.

Good luck with your art project!

Dennis Ryan - kickthefaucet.com - Fine Art

Answers to questions about fine art by Dennis Ryan: paintings about psychological disorders, specifically obsessive compulsive disorder: OCD

From time to time I'll share comments from emails I very frequently receive on my fine art website kickthefaucet.com - paintings and art work about psychological disorders, specifically obsessive compulsive disorder: OCD

This post is a copy of questions I recently received from a person named Sam. The questions were thoughtful, so I'm posting my answers. Sam also wrote for permission to include my fine art in a paper he was writing:

Series 2: Ticker - Acryic, rubbing alcohol on canvas - 2'x3'

1. Why is it that you mainly focus on the compulsion of cleaning rather than other common compulsions?
   

   In my opinion, cleanliness is the most identifiable and prevalent act of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It also represents the most interesting and appealing content, in relation to my concepts, across the majority of audiences. My artwork’s conceptual facets revolve around psychological disorders. Series 2 revolves around OCD, focusing on the “C” of the “CCCC” in OCD that represents cleanliness.
   

2. What are the numbers about in your series 2 pieces?
   
   The numbers symbolize time and counting: time wasted counting. Certain pieces have numbers that represent obsessive day-trading (or gambling) in the form of a suggested “stock ticker”. Numbers are also an additional vehicle to help integrate type into my fine art; which usually consists mostly of line, form and color. I feel type to be an important form of expression and use it to reinforce certain conceptual aspects of my work.
   


3. Why does your work change so much between series 1 and 2, not only the subject matter but the composition and style as well?
   
   The changes are mostly representative of artistic progression and growth. Series 2 evolved as a result of lessons and experiments from Series 1. At this point, I am developing more in the direction of the hands in Series 2 as they represent a ton of my interests in both artistic concepts and physiological disorders.
   


4. What message do you want your work to convey?
   
   On one level, I try to suggest through line, color and form that people suffering with mental disabilities are really suffering! In fact they are disabled. They are locked in a sort of continuous, never-ending, very agonizing mental hell which in many cases is virtually impossible to escape. The only hope some of these suffers have is to cope, not get worse, and very importantly, not to spread the disorders and discomforts to their loved ones.
   

   On the other hand I want to express my creative talents and make the artwork - on the surface - be beautiful. I do not want my artwork to only convey OCD or physiological disorders. After all, I am an artist not a psychologist.