About Sean

Born in Richmond, Virginia in 1989, Sean Sweeney is an interdisciplinary artist specializing in materials typically used in contemporary architecture. By combining these elements with natural components, he creates introspective moments for viewers to reflect on their everyday interactions with these materials.
Sean earned his BFA in Painting and Printmaking from Virginia… more
Recent paintings
My current series of paintings fuses geometric abstraction, the precision of concrete art, and the emotional intensity of abstract expressionism. Inspired by both modern aesthetics and nature's subtle details, these works reinterpret digital patterns and forms, imbuing them with new meaning and function within the context of painting.
Central to my artistic exploration is the use of digital glitch like mark-making and the strategic layering of paint. This technique challenges viewers' perceptions by creating a dynamic interplay between the space around shapes and the space within them, allowing these elements to oscillate between the foreground and background. This oscillation fosters a visual dialogue that questions the conventional boundaries between digital and physical spaces. I incorporate digital glitching and "digital noise" to emulate digital errors, creating a unique texture that blurs the lines between the intentional and accidental.
My recent chromatic paintings draw additional inspiration from the mysterious and often otherworldly appearances of UFOs/UAPs. The geometric shapes and the ways they carve out negative space resonate with the enigmatic and unexplained phenomena associated with these sightings. By dividing empty space into sections through forms or lines, my work facilitates a dynamic movement between reality and abstraction, enabling shapes to fluctuate seamlessly. These fluctuations suggest depth and allow the shapes to act as portals to realms deep within the canvas.
This series uses simplicity of form and texture as a narrative thread, merging digital alterations with tactile layers of paint and elements inspired by both nature and the unexplained. This fusion fosters a tension between everyday visual intake and the rediscovery of familiar details, urging viewers to ponder their origins and meanings anew. Through this body of work, I invite viewers to witness the dynamic interplay of reality and abstraction, where each painting becomes a field of exploration for the interplay of space, shape, and texture.
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Chromatic Invasion (Flap 4)
Acrylic paint on panel 20" x 16" 2024
Available for Purchase$550
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Purple Camo Pants Invasion
Acrylic paint on panel 33" x 30" 2024
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Chromatic Ripples
Acrylic on panel 40" x 26" 2024
Available for Purchase$1200
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Chromatic Invasion (Flap 1)
Acrylic on panel 21" x 20" 2024
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Chromatic Invasion (Flap 2)
Acrylic on panel 21" x 20" 2024
Available for Purchase$800
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Untitled (Glitch)
Acrylic paint on panel 40" x 26" 2024
Available for Purchase$950
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Confetti
Latex paint on panel 29" x 27" 2018
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Urban Geometry
Acrylic on panel 40" x 30" 2020
Available for Purchase$1200
Sculptures
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Ivy League
Cast cement and wood 13" x 7" x 3" 2021
Available for Purchase$350
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Long House
Cast cement and wire mesh 8" x 5" x 10" 2021
Available for Purchase$375
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Skyward
Cast cement and chicken wire 12" x 7" x 2.5" 2021
Available for Purchase$375
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Bring Your Own Bag (Byob)
Cast cement and wood 16" x 7" x 3"
Available for Purchase$350
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Blue Silk
cast cement and wood 9" x 6" x 10" 2021
Available for Purchase$350
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Two Point
Cast cement and wood 17" x 7" x 2"
Available for Purchase$350
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Triptych
2013 - 2015
My interdisciplinary practice focuses on lightness and gravity, seeking to create poetic moments. The materials I use have been altered, and while some are no longer recognizable, others are left in a raw state. The alterations aestheticize the materials with a balance of elegant crudeness creating a dichotomy. Specific materials commonly used in contemporary architecture, such as ceiling panels, wood, and Plexiglas have been utilized to create this most recent body of work.
Drawing from the perception of structural integrity, I created a piece, True by Four, where a stud is balanced on two pieces of Plexiglas. Traditionally used to build walls, it now competes with gravity, no longer serving as a component of framework, but instead is raised to an acute angle appearing as though it is floating.
The careful installation of my work subconsciously guides viewers through the space as they engage each poetic moment. Each piece affects a new interaction with the viewer as some moments act as a resting point, while other pieces create moments of inspiration or precariousness. Viewers can connect with the internal spaces of the pieces; immerse themselves in the interaction between the paintings and sculptures, and contemplate the moments of lightness and gravity.
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ConcreteSpray paint on panel. 48" x 35" 2013
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Warped SpaceCeiling panels, wood, and plexiglass. 12' x 6'. 2014
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SandwichPlexiglass, altered ceiling panels, epoxy resin and latex paint 42" x 6" 2014
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ParallelSpray paint and acrylic paint on paper in artist made frame. 58" x 40" 2014
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UntitledBroken ceiling panels, plexiglass and latex paint. 2014.
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UntitledIphone photo on paper, artist made frame. 40" x 30" 2014
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Moment of RestSpray paint on paper, artist made frame. 58” x 40”. 2013.
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True by FourWood, plexiglass, latex paint. 5'5" x 3'3"x 4' 2014
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UntitledCeiling panel, spray paint, enamel, artist made frame.
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Greater GraceFound ceiling tile in artist made frame. 48” x 25”. 2013.
Painting
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Partly SunnyScreen print and polyurethane on canvas over panel. 36" x 30" 2012
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CmykScreen print on canvas over panel 40"x 30" 2011
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BlackScreen print on canvas over panel 40"x 30" 2011
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YellowScreen print on canvas over panel 40"x 30" 2011
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MagentaScreen print on canvas over panel 40"x 30" 2011
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CyanScreen print on canvas over panel 40"x 30" 2011
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GridPolyurethane screen print on panel over canvas. 11" x 8" 2011
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UnderwaterPolyurethane and screen print on canvas over panel 40"x 30" 2011
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UntitledPolyurethane screen print on panel over canvas. 48"x 30" 2011
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Installation