Frank Kowing

Born in McMinnville, Oregon, of Umqua and German heritage, I grew up near the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, and became a member of that confederation. Wilderness was all around me and I began to paint at an early age. Nature signifies immortality and acts as a haven for human inspiration. Early influences include Native American and biomorphic art, telluric themes of earth and germination, growth and metamorphosis.

Landscapes in oil gradually changed to made-up, fantasy mindscapes. The landscapes are still there, hidden in subjective interpretations of the surrounding world. I started experimenting with abstracts, which led to low relief collages and eventually incorporated construction materials and found objects. The shapes I create are forms that I have discovered in nature’s rhythms. Even now the art works have the rough primal look of handmade objects.
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10905 Fiesta Road, Silver Spring, MD 20901