Springtime in Oxford, Mississippi is comparable to no other, bringing a myriad of flowers from the ground to cover the town in beautiful colors and aromas. Azaleas were the first of these flowers that caught Artist Stan ODell’s eye during his first visit to his future forever-home in April, 1975. After accepting a position in the Psychology department at the University of Mississippi, ODell simultaneously pursued his passion for Art and Photography. Regardless of his career, his love for the Arts continued to beckon him to discover his potential; his artistry blooming with the same intensity of Azaleas in the Spring.
Stan ODell, originally from St. Louis and Springfield, Missouri, has felt connected to Art since an acclaimed age of 5, his earliest memories consisting of crayons. His interest in Photography followed around age 14, driving his involvement in High school, as well as in his higher academics at Drury College. Many of his works appeared in local art shows, year books, and were praised in recognition as well.
Upon his graduation from Drury College as a Clinical Psychologist, his career led to his arrival in Oxford. During ODell’s 27 years on campus, he had the opportunity to take classes with local artist Jere Allen, who taught ODell for almost 20 years. Allen fueled O’Dell’s creative interests regardless of his primary responsibilities to the psychology department: O’Dell retired at 53 years of age, describing his resignation from his professor position to be his “mid-life course correction.”
Self labeled as a “figurative” artist, ODell’s connection to both Psychology and the Art’s drives his selection in subjects for his pieces. His fascination with people and their feelings overlaps with the desire to express those emotions as he primarily tends to paint Women, Children, and classic images of human figures. His work is deeper than a stroke of a brush across canvas, but rather a complex understanding of how to make said figure come to life.
As Art is the imitation of life, ODell crafts pieces from his desire to capture beauty in the diversity of each person painted. He sees individual’s as a challenge, each subject containing their own reflective beauty beyond their physical image. In today’s world, ODell follows the postmodern movement of rejecting subjective opinions on the quality of his work: Art does not have to be angry or violent, good or bad. Based on personal belief, his art enhances beauty reflected in women, as well as flowers and birds. Beauty in art is not just about the subject, but rather can be the conveyance of emotion through shapes, colors, lines, and textures.
Beyond the psychological interest that ODell seeks in human subjects, he also gives credit to the influence of the rural environment Mississippi offers. Beyond the gray concrete and demands of a bustling city, ODell finds himself able to answer the call of the natural world. The raw environment deeply influences his ability to “…reflect on what about life is most important, meaningful, and beautiful.
Oxford’s natural beauty has not only influenced ODell artistically, but so has the community. Many programs such as The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council, Oxford Artist’s Guild, and Southside Gallery have been supportive of ODell and many other local artists’ journey as a collective community. Through the relentless support of the artistic members of Oxford, ODell has sought to give back to the Oxford community, as well as the state, through sharing his Art and Photography with others. Art has the power to connect the community, as ODell equally aspires to create a shared euphoria of pleasantness through his pieces.
Stan ODell’s work can be located on his personal websites ODellphotography.com and ODellart.com. His Facebook can be additionally viewed under his first and last name.
By McKenna Sherer
