Coppedge’s art is in the moment

   It is difficult to find a tangible image in the work of Stephen Coppedge. Rivers of blue and green energy flow across a paint spattered canvas. Lines collide in a sudden surge of motion. If there are themes, they are purely coincidental, Coppedge said.
   “I don’t look at art that way,” he said. “To me it is just in the moment. I try to capture what I’m feeling at the time. It’s personal.”
    A Graphic Design and Studio Art major at Campbell University, Coppedge’s senior exhibition has been on display in Campbell’s E.P. Sauls Gallery. It is a collection of abstract paintings, sculpture and photography. Although Coppedge said his passion is photography, most of his abstract paintings have been sold.
     “I’m really surprised at the response to my paintings,” he said. “It is gratifying to know that people feel so strongly about my work.”
     Coppedge, whose paintings reflect the influence of modern artists Jackson Pollock and Pablo Picasso, would one day like to own his own graphic design firm. “I want to integrate graphic design and photography,” he said. “Art is what I enjoy most in life. Without art, I don’t know where I would be.”
     Coppedge will graduate this fall and currently works for photographer Richard Stump in Erwin. He also works as a graphic design lab assistant at Campbell University.
   To contact Stephen Coppedge, call (919) 920-5327 or e-mail him at stephencoppedge@yahoo.com.


Photo Copy: Art student Stephen Coppedge stands beside a self portrait, part of his senior exhibition displayed at Campbell’s E.P. Sauls Gallery.