WITHOUT PERMISSION

"Boldly primal and beautifully poetic, the work of Sage Gallon reflects our shared humanity with textures of varying emotion and layers of shadowed sentiment. His paintings tell stories in their shades of lived experiences."

Allié McGuire
Co-Founder of Awareness Ties

THE ART

THE AWARENOW FEATURE

THE ARTIST

SAGE GALLON made his debut into the Art World with a group show in 2013 called Nebula. It was held in an Airplane Hanger in Santa Monica, CA and was attended by some 500 people. In early 2014, Sage was named in, NBC's The Grio as One of the 40 Artists to Watch and Sage has not disappointed. From interviews in the Huffington Post to The Examiner with successful shows in both Los Angeles as well as in New York, Sage was one of the featured Artists at Miami's Art Basel 2016.

Born in Wyandance Long Island, Sage spent his formative years living in a commune. "I think that being raised in a commune, Synanon, was one of the greatest influences in my life. I was raised by over 400 people from all walks of life who genuinely cared for each other. That has always stuck with me, even in my dark times." After moving back to New York with his Mother and Step-Father, Sage took a great interest in the Arts. Hempstead, the town he grew up in, did not lend itself to his artistic interest, so Sage at a very young age would find himself sneaking into 'The City'. "We lived an hour from New York City, my Mom by this time was a single working parent and I was a latch key kid. I was mature for my age and would often just get on the train and go. Crazy looking back now, a 12 year old in the City all alone, but I loved it. It seemed every corner was a master piece and of course the Galleries, the Parks, I love the Met and MOMA. I would get off at Penn Station, point my finger straight out, close my eyes, spin and what ever direction my finger pointed that's where I would go."

In high school, Sage had teachers and friends that would challenge and inspire him. His only artistic training would come from his high school arts teacher, Linda Shear. He befriended a teacher, Kim O'Quinn, who would show him parts of the City he had not yet discovered. Sage attended the renowned F.I.T. after graduating high school where he studied Fashion Design. Soon after, Sage was introduced to drugs. "I was such a square as a kid, my Parents both had their battles with drugs and alcohol so I stayed clear of them. It wasn't until after F.I.T. That curiosity got the best of me. I was introduced to crack cocaine by these guys that did not fit the 'Crack Head' description that I had in my head. It took three months into the addiction before I realized that I was smoking crack, one year to the day that I had fit the description of a crack head that I had in my head. I was homeless, picked out of a trash can for food, did all kinds of things to support my addiction. My friends, John, Karla and Deb worried to death about me but I was far gone."

In the early 90's Sage was sent to a rehab in DC to get clean, he left the facility and shortly after relapsed. A friend, Walter Neal, seeing talent in the young Sage purchased art supplies for him in hopes that he may find a way to express himself through Art. Sage's first painting "Blue Solitude" is still treasured by Walter. Sage took to painting like wild fire, producing over 400 paintings in both Acrylic and Watercolor. Though the battle with addiction grew, Sage move to Los Angeles CA, where he currently resides, he had stopped painting for some 20 years until the tail end of his final relapse. "I for a very long time had nothing to say in that language [painting]. I had been clean for some 11 years, my life had changed dramatically, I had discovered photography and was in the studio recording my debut CD NAKED UNDER MY CLOTHES. That relapse was in some ways one of the greatest events in my life in that it was the catalyst that made me pick up my brushes. I am now over two years clean and what a two years this has been."

Sage's photos have been published in various magazines and websites, in 2015 he premiered his Series, Rocks and Hard Places ( from Castration to the Mandingo Complex). He also released his debut cd, Naked Under My Clothes, a collection of Sage's poetry put to music. The CD has Sage ranked in the Top Five of his category on ReverbNation.com. Sage has also gotten critical attention for the Music Videos he has shot for Naked Under My Clothes. "It's amazing to think that not that long ago I wanted nothing more that to take my life. I am grateful that did not happen. I want my work, paintings, poetry and my photography to reflect truth, humanity, and growth. I have been at the bottom, Hell, I even dug beeper down from there and I'm humbled and blown away to think that in two years my work has gone from selling from $250 to over $10,000. It's important, having been in the darkness, for me to always give back, that's why a portion of everything I make with my art has to go to charity. I have been looked at with disgust and that's why I try to bring truth and humanity to my work. My greatest hope is to inspire people, to perhaps be a light, even if it's a single spark, to someone who may be living in that darkness right now."

Sage is currently getting more shows together, filming the rest of his music videos as well as working on several new photo series, scripts and other productions . In 2016 Sage was one of the Artists featured in the “I Found God in Myself” at The African American Museum in Philadelphia. ​