Steven James Fawson was born in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1952. He is an artist whose highly realistic work has been handled by Brushworks Gallery. Fawson's interesting surrealistic still-life, figurative, and portrait works have received high acclaim on the local level. His studio is in the Guthrie Building in downtown Salt Lake.

Biography adapted from Artists of Utah.

Steven was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on October 5, 1952. Steven drew a lot as a child, was always looking at art and illustrations in books, and was constantly observing the landscape and people around him. When he entered the University of Utah in the Autumn of 1971, he was intrigued, and excited by the work of the Art faculty and began to be influenced by the work of Tony Smith. Painting with an airbrush he was able to create the illusion of three dimensions with organic shapes that sometimes mimic the work of Smith at the time. But Fawson was not long to be producing these acrylic airbrush paintings, for he had now encountered figure drawing and painting. Fawson studied extensively with Alvin Gittins for the next few years concentrating on figure and portrait studies. Post graduation he worked in three different studios in the old Worth hotel building in what became known as “The Guthrie” as it was situated above the old Guthrie Bicycle shop. In the August 1979 issue of “Utah Holiday Magazine”, Fawson was named “Best Portrait Painter: Steve Fawson who has not separated portraiture from fine art and doesn’t charge an exorbitant fee.”

Steven has strived over the years to keep his work expressive and interesting and at the same time accessible. He has completed many commissions; portraits and landscapes primarily. His work is in several public collections, and numerous private collections throughout the US and several foreign countries. In 1981 Steven was asked by Paul Davis, the then Art Department Chairman, to teach a landscape painting class at the Davis/University of Utah campus. He taught for four quarters, two Autumns and two Springs, but realized that he was not well suited to teaching and so he resigned.

George Dibble, an artist and longtime art critic with the Salt Lake Tribune, states of his work; “..it persuades with an affluence in managing the pictorial image but more excitedly with an imagery that flourishes with creative insight.”

During the time when Richard Johnston was the director of the Salt Lake Art Center, Steven was asked by Johnston to curate an exhibition of “Guthrie” artists at that facility. This was accomplished with a few minor hiccups, but was well received and well reviewed.

Over the years Fawson has been active in the local art scene participating in many group shows as well as several single artist exhibitions.

Steven is represented by the Brushworks Gallery and by David Ericson Fine Art.

Steven lives in Salt Lake City and is married to the Poet Shawn Fawson. They have three children. Steven J. Fawson maintains a studio in the Sugar House area of Salt Lake City.

Group Exhibitions

• Utah Arts Council Juried Exhibition, Salt Lake City, UT, 1974-1986
• Utah Figurative Artists - Atrium Gallery, Salt Lake City, UT, August 1980
• "Reunion Exhibition" of the Guthrie Institute of Fine Arts - Springville Museum. Springville, UT, December 1981
• The Seven Realists - Main Gallery Kimball Art Center, Park City, UT, June 26- July 20, 1983
• Drawings/Paintings Steven J. Fawson & Linda Wheadon - Salt Lake Art Center, Salt Lake City, UT, September 14-October 14, 1984
• Artists from the Guthrie Ctudios - The Chase Home, Liberty Park, Salt Lake City, UT march 8 - April 27, 1986
• Utopia dystopia Apocalypse: Images for a New Millennium - Atrium Gallery, Salt Lake City, UT, January 8 - March 5, 2000
• Distinguished Alumni Art Invitational - Gittins Gallery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, September 24 - October 11, 2001

Selected Individual Exhibitions

• Atrium Gallery - Salt Lake City, UT, September 1977
• Brushworks Gallery - Salt Lake City, UT, September 1979
• Lumiere Gallery - Salt Lake City, UT, December - January 1982-1983
• Finch Lane Gallery - Salt Lake City, UT, July 31 - September 7, 1987
• Loge Gallery - Salt Lake City, UT, March - April, 1988

Biography courtesy of the artist

stevenfawson@mac.com 

Newspaper Articles

"Exhibits Whet the Appetite." Deseret News, August 22, 1981.

"George Dibble's art Scene: Pastel Studies Grace Finch Lane Gallery." Salt Lake Tribune, August 2, 1987.

"The Art Scene: capitol Exhibit 'Irresistible'." Salt Lake Tribune, August 11, 1974.

"The Art Scene: Fawson's Expressions." Salt Lake Tribune, August 16, 1981.

"The Art Scene: Steven Fawson's Works at Lomiere Highlight Season." Salt Lake Tribune, January 2, 1983.

Book

Olpin, Robert S., William C. Seifrit, and Vern G. Swanson. Artists of Utah. Salt Lake City, UT: Gibbs Smith Publisher, 1999.

Olpin, Robert S. Dictionary of Utah Art. Salt Lake City, UT: Utah Arts Center, 1980.

Olpin, Robert S., Vern G. Swanson, William C. Seifrit. Utah Art. layton, UT: Gibbs Smith Publisher, 1991.

Utah Arts Council. Utah Originals. Salt Lake City, UT: Utah Arts Council, 1979.