Anthony White
Rendezvous
2009
oil on linen
51 x 51cm
Image from: Iain Dawson Gallery
Anthony White's Paris Paintings are on show 2 - 13 Feb 2010 at Iain Dawson Gallery, Sydney.
'The work in this exhibition was made in residence at Australia's Storrier Onslow Studio, at the Cite Internationale Des Arts, Paris. This studio award, enable me to paint and live in Paris for three months.
The architectural surfaces of Paris are laden with centuries of graffiti, posters, filth and humanity. The works draw upon these references and the sense of transience, the passing of time, the organis and the antique' Anthony White - 2010
The architectural surfaces of Paris are laden with centuries of graffiti, posters, filth and humanity. The works draw upon these references and the sense of transience, the passing of time, the organis and the antique' Anthony White - 2010
12 comments:
This a re quite wonderful images UP!
I looked up his work at the gallery site and enjoyed the sensation of the paint and the very particular colour story he gets happening of the way he works.
Also love Hodgkin's work from your previous post. Love that whole thing he did with frames as part of work....always interesting to contemplate the distinctive seeing that is going on with
Looking forward to seeing new ones from you. Excellent to hear you've been busy with working the paint and thanks for fab link to radio program!
cheers,
S
Hi Sophie
Yes, Anthony White's paintings are gems, aren't they!
Glad you liked the radio program link...I thought of you immediately.
I've put a few new things on my website; one painting a some new mixed media items...am letting them take me where they want to lead me which is who knows where!
best to you x
Hi Up. I'm not sure if I'm out of the loop here, but these paintings are so reminiscent of Aida Tomescu and Steve Harvey, at least one of whom was his teacher (and referee for the exhibition, and probably the gallery) that I can't take them seriously. It seems there is an "Emperor's New Clothes" thing happening with the NAS - the students are encouraged to copy and given incredible rewards for it -both the Fonas Cite and the Travelling Scholarship awards-and then shoe horned into a good gallery. (Note they are mostly male, aged 25-35 and often, good looking). May be sour grapes, but has any one else noticed what's going on here? I'll make a judgement on his work after a few years of developing his own responses...
Wow Gabrielle, you don't mince words do you? I guess I like to stick to a formula here which is to post what I like...or what I'm interested in seeing more of in painting in general. But since you mention the Tomescu/Harvey connection I will respond by saying that I can definitely see what you mean. However, I'm not so sure that this phenomenon that you speak of (could one call it nepotism?) is exactly new either...which is the tragic and frustrating side of being IN the art world. (thankfully I'm not). I think it's prudent of you to employ the wait and see approach with young artists...so much time and many hours of painting in which to develop - provided they keep getting the grants and support! If I had a major beef it would be with the disturbing practice of making money available for YOUNG and emerging artists...the under 35s! How about more money for the over 40s, working to pay the bills, raising kids whilst still remaining passionate about their practice by utilising every moment of there spare time arts grant. I could use one of those. Do you know of one? ;)
Sorry UP - wish I had one of those grants myeself! I actually support those grants precisely because they do allow a younger person to develop their own voiceover time. I guess they just assume we older ones have been to paris, new York and Berlin in our youth - I was working, however! yep -I know nothing about Anhony White's path to this point, and I know we all have major influences in our lives. It's just that when I was t NAs, we were encouraged NOT to paint like the teachers - then two years later, there was a David Fairbairn, an Ildiko Kovacs (not a teacher) and about three Peter Godwins. So much so that a friend (a successful artist) wanted me to make a protest to the alumni because there was also a clone of a famous German artist. I don't blame the kids, but with such success so early, how do they find what they are really meant to be painting - an original path?
Grants for EVERYONE!!! ha ha..not possible.. In my last comment I meant to say that a lot, not all, of the funds available seem to be given to young and emerging. Perhaps one needs to dig a little. In any case, I don't feel aggrieved since I've never got off my bum to apply for one and all power to those who have the confidence and self belief to do so. I agree, we all need a head start when young and inexperienced. Though damn it, I still feel like that ;) Anyway, that path you mention, old or young does it ever become smooth and easy to stick too? should it be? It is the 'struggle' that breeds originality - whatever that is. Honestly though, is originality always the end game? I just get so excited to see someone who knows how to use paint. In my humble opinion.
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Well...
Hi UP!
I have been on holidays and just this afternoon arrived home. I avoided the computer till I felt ready to plunge into the dialogue again.
I must say - this has been a zesty diaolgue here at this post.
My head is still full of New Zealand landscapes, moods, history, geology, botany and art. I read a great biography of the writer Katherine Mansfield (whom I've never read but often read of).
There's an interesting tale of an early experience where she borrowed from a story of Chekov when writing her own short story and years later this came back to haunt her reputation.
A most interesting thing from this book was the adeptness of the biographer in discussing the phenomenon of artists being influenced by others before them or around them, the developing artist and their tendency to borrow or be influenced by others (subliminaly and intentionally) and the fact of plain old plagiarism.
I enjoyed the prompt to think about this because the biographer was not black and white about it - and through the entire book gave a very full spectrum of all aspects of this woman's colourful life.
If anything bothers me about the art scene in recent years it is the sense I often get (rightly or wrongly) that Art studies often contain a great deal of professional development/business advice that actually set students up to feel enormously pressured to hustle for their place in the market immediately - and so a raft of formulaic professional practices get rolled out in some cases long before the work has had a chance to wend its ways through all kinds of stages of becoming.
However it must be noted that some of us are particularly slow perhaps (I fall into this lot) and have needed loads of time to grow into our own sense of aunthentic mark making etc.
Others are different!
There's not one way to proceed, but many... and we see the merit of works and individuals in such unique ways.
It was fascinating to have the opportunity to look at art in Wellington, Nelson and Christchurch in the space of 12 days - all three cities with significant art sectors and galleries and so on.
Fascinating to reflect on what was coming through to someone from outside, unfamiliar with many of those whose work I saw. My overall impression was of layer upon layer of artistic response to place, time and subject - Certain artist's work for me possessed an outstanding integrity - of vision, composition, accomplishment and so on. For all the singularly spectacular works there were clearly those who were responding to the light of these stronger artists and then the were the ones influenced by them and so on.
It is not so very long ago that students were taught to learn directly from the masters, classes were held in the museums in front of the great works.
It is no doubt due to the sense that it takes many of us such a long time to forge our vision that I am less interested in knowing everything about the work - instead rather hoping to discover which works have the power to reach out to me and keep holding me....thinking later of...etc.
O...I'm fading...got caught up thinking about all this...bed time.
The conversations are valuable...the to and fro of the ideas raised prod us to rethink!
A pleasure to visit your blog UP!
always...
Sophie
Hey Sophie. Converse away! Conversation is good and...someone posted here and then removed it which is a shame because diverse views are necessary. I find the question of originality sort of baffling. Art School was a time where everyone seemed to be so intent on finding this thing immediately. I think it's important to look at everything and be aware, be influenced but always add to the dialogue rather than without question slot in to a recognisable style or whatever. I think the formulaic thing you mention works for some and not for others. I guess it depends on what you want. I certainly wouldn't know anything beyond that since, like you, I'm a slow poke!
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