Allan Gorman: Painting the Industrial Landscape
Allan Gorman paints industrial landscapes inspired by the light and shadow found in architecture. Fascinated by abstract shapes, lines, and the details of machines, Allan’s work depicts moments from everyday life in an entirely new light.
How did your creative journey begin?
I started my professional career as an advertising art director and also taught a creative concept class at The School of Visual Arts in NYC in the early 1980s. One of the perks of teaching back then was being able to take classes at the school at no charge. My wife prompted me to take a painting class and I was hooked.
Back then I painted nostalgic portraits from old black and white photos, but gave it up after a few years. I had a house and child, a mortgage, started my own business, and had to put my energies into earning a living. But the desire to make my own art was forever burning, so in 2008 I started painting and drawing again. I closed my ad and brand marketing agency in 2013 after 27 years, and haven’t looked back since.
Where do you find inspiration for your work?
It’s been a journey trying to understand what drives me, but I’ve come to understand that I’m attracted to the abstract shapes, light and shadow, and color plays that I discover in the industrial landscape - mostly within architecture and machines.
How has your work shifted and evolved over time?
When I went back to fine art, I knew I didn’t want to repeat what I had done 20 years previously, but didn’t quite know exactly what I wanted to do.
One day, while driving in the rain behind a couple of big rig trucks, with the rain splashing all over my windshield, I wondered if I could capture the claustrophobia I felt in a painting. It wasn’t a terribly good painting, but led to exploring tractor-trailer trucks as a subject. I became attracted to the interesting design details, like grilles, exhaust stacks, light assemblies, etc.
This led to exploring other machines and vehicles, then infra-structures like bridges and the mysteries found “Under the El”.
That has now evolved to the poetry of light and shadow found in architecture.
What does a typical day in the studio look like for you, and how has your art practice grown or changed?
I treat my art practice like a business, working in a separate studio outside my home.
Typically, I get in the studio around 10:30 and work straight through until around 6 pm, then I go home.
A few days a month, I stay home to work at the computer on marketing. I’m still looking for the perfect marketing partner or gallery to free up my time so I can pursue what I really like to do, which is creating and producing new work. But over the years, I’ve learned that I still need to play an active role in marketing too.
I’ve cut back on a lot of juried shows and resume builders - I’ve done plenty of those and have built an impressive resume. These days, I use social media and some of the online galleries to promote myself and participate in a few good art fairs which have recently paid off for me too.
Which experiences have impacted your work as an artist?
I use my camera as my sketchbook and have trained my antenna to be on the lookout for unusual images that might lead to a good painting or drawing. I live for these moments when I can say to myself, “Hey, look at that!” And then, if it’s interesting enough I try to share that “Aha!” with my viewers. Also, because that moment on discovery has an emotional impact on me, I make it a conscious effort to share the feeling I had in the artwork.
How has Instagram impacted your art career?
Social media - mostly Facebook and Instagram - has helped me grow the network of people who like my work, and has led to some real and lasting friendships too. It’s also led to invitations to show my work internationally and find opportunities to reach new fans. (Like you, and your readers! - Thank you!!)
What are your future goals and aspirations?
2021 was a pretty good year for me. I made some good sales and made many new friends. I’d like to keep that momentum up moving forward.
Ultimately, I’d love to have the knowledge that the legacy I will leave will matter, that my work will resonate and endure after I’m done.
Fame and fortune in my lifetime would be nice, but most importantly, my focus is on challenging myself to make better work that I can take pride in.
Website: www.allangorman.com
Instagram: @allangormanart