Monty Montgomery began exhibiting his work in 2002. Born and raised in Virginia, Montgomery loved black lines and bright colors at a very young age and was influenced by his mother who was a kindergarten teacher. “I started doing art really young,” Montgomery says. “Grabbing crayons and markers and trying to fill in good old-fashioned coloring books. I remember having a massive amount of coloring books and being able to sit for hours with my mom at the kitchen table trying to get each page perfect.” Montgomery’s use of “stars” in his work comes from years of sitting with his Grandfather as he pointed out constellations through the dark, small town, Virginia skies. “It was always magical listening to my Grandfather and learning about the stars”, Montgomery says. “I will always remember that feeling as a little boy and try to somehow bring it back to life in my paintings.” Through his teenage years he discovered this visual connection was becoming more and more a substance for him to express his inner works of art. He then went on to earn his BFA from Longwood University in 1998. While based in Charlottesville, Va. and working on various design projects in the music/surf/skate industries along the East Coast, Montgomery launched Cilli Original Designs and began spreading his word through clothing, paintings, poetry, stickers, and culture. He then opened, operated, and curated, C.O.D. Gallery & Studios on the Downtown Mall in “C-VILLE” and joined forces with the “SOA” Sound of Art in New York City. After many great years in Virginia, he made the move to Boston, Ma. in 2006 to expand his vision. “Almost every single one of my pieces has a specific meaning to it, a vibe, a feeling or message that I want you to take in and walk away with,” Montgomery says. “I not only want to hit you with my vision of color and lines, but even more so with the message within each painting. My job is to create art that makes you feel.” In 2008 Montgomery made the move to San Diego, California and continues to focus in on his works and take on various projects across the USA with each passing day. Montgomery recently combined forces with J FEATHER, another San Diego based Artist and the duo formed KREASHUN in 2012. KREASHUN is a combination of both Artist’s visions and talents coming together to create one lucid dream of experience upon interior and exterior walls through the streets around the globe. Experience this new vision at http://www.kreashun.com. Statement: As a child, I always seemed to look at color and shape with an intense confusion. I remember wondering why objects were the color or shape they appeared to be in that moment of comparison. Today, I still ask myself those same questions. The only difference is, I realize that objects and colors can be developed in so many ways towards relaying an instant, emotional variable. I rely completely on my diversity and emotional sense, my honest reaction. I trust in my decision of giving a specific color to an object, which is neutral before that decision. This allows the viewer to embark upon untraveled paths of the visual soul and journey into experimental ideas of what might have been or truly could be through that moment of visual representation based on a certain color. Listening to the silence of a color allows me to break everything down, question the proper color of the object or for the situation, and apply my own reality to it so that all objects can be felt, individually and as a group. My work is constantly based on making connections with my surroundings and visually absorbing every point of attraction and emotion. I mold situations into certain forms that express what I felt at that moment in others from various energies, spontaneous actions, and originally spoken words. I enjoy intensity within all types of people; even more so, that moment which brings these feelings to the surface. I often channel my opinions through simple silhouetted figures and objects that play diverse roles in relaying something complicated or very simple. I enjoy letting the viewer decide if it means something, or nothing at all… I believe that in our cycle with time, there are so many amazing emotions that brush our path every day. We must make the decision to try and comprehend each and every one in our own way through our own personal deliverances. I constantly deal with these episodes and will forever face them through my process of creating. I only hope my works will enable you to face yours as well. Monty Montgomery