10/03/2013
Art Dork Artist Profile
Anthony Pontius
Born 1972 Indiana
M.F.A. Painting, University of Kansas 2004
B.F.A. Painting and Printmaking, The Herron School of Art 2000
Anthony currently lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. He has taught extensively at the Des Moines Art Center, the University of Kansas, the Lawrence Arts Center, and The Herron School of Art and Design.His work has been exhibited at many galleries, universities and venues nationally.
My work examines the importance of the human connection to history. By using past and present techniques of painting and written histories, I invent my own nostalgic experiences and narratives. I examine imagery, stories and concepts from both the past and present and place them in a shared setting. The established conflicts and connections found in this union enable an image that is flexible for many audiences. I implore traditional and contemporary practices of painting and mix these approaches to form new arrangements. I may use classical clarity to represent and to define a specific part of a story, and at the same time use the ambiguity of abstraction to complete the formation of the work. From this, a new myth develops. It is a story that is familiar yet it has not been cultivated by anyone. The combination of specific imagery and less comprehensive moments creates an accommodating proclamation that allows the viewer to share the anxiety and beauty of human involvement with its identity. This approach allows me to represent our alignment with the annals of history. This display of beauty and complexity of the unknown provides a foundation to what we consider the past and present. As with history, these paintings are not clear or concise. They are fluctuating consequences wielded from contribution.
Title: The Oracle
Size: 16" x 20"
Medium: Oil on panel
