You may have missed them, but the works of Forest Park artist Charles Brown were on display at the Oak Park Area Arts Council (OPAAC) gallery at the Forest Park National Bank, 7348 Madison St. in November.
Brown has lived in Forest Park since 1993. Since retiring from his career as a college professor in 2014, he has dedicated his time to art, primarily drawing in graphite, charcoal and pen.
In 2017, Brown joined the Oak Park Art League, where he was instructed by artist Jesse Howard. His goal is to provoke thought through his art, but he brings a sense of humor to his works as well.
“I believe art is an excellent medium for communicating a message and/or evoking a feeling within a short span of time,” said Brown. “[My works] are intended to provoke, inspire and cause the viewer to laugh a little at the human condition. Art can do all these things and more because art asks us to think outside the box, to go beyond our ordinary, conventional thinking and to imagine possibilities.”
Brown considers himself a drawer rather than a painter, and he believes that although drawing can be the step taken before painting, it is his preferred style.
“While drawing can be a preliminary step before painting, drawing can also stand on its own as art in itself,” he said.
