BIO
Anthony found his way into painting via conceptual sculpture, having studied at Kingston Polytechnic for two years before finalising his studies in philosophy. He found that sculpture didn’t allow him to connect with the human figure in a manner which resonated, hence a shift to painting. Here he combined areas of philosophy, psychology and symbolism to create landscapes that were concerned with aspects of the human condition. Many of the themes he has dealt with have revolved around human psychology, anomalies in psychopathologies, as well as the nature of identity, culture, memory and personal history.
He initially began with highly symbolic ventures into figurative art, and slowly over the years, has chosen to lessen his authorial voice in exchange for allowing his paintings a space to have their own voice. He regards his practice as an act of personal exploration and growth and for this reason he tends to work in cycles or series’ of paintings to allow for shifts.
Anthony has held a solo exhibition at Catto Gallery in London and has exhibited extensively over the years. His exploration in the detailed field of miniature portrait art garnered several awards from the Royal Society of Miniatures. His portrait of good friend and esteemed British art critic, historian and poet, Edward Lucie-Smith received much coverage before finding its home with a collector in Hong Kong. Many of his works are held in private collections in the US, Canada, Hong Kong, Israel, Russia and Europe.
STATEMENT
In my latest series, I aim to create figurative landscapes which hint towards a place of disequilibrium or unease. I populate each canvas with spectral figures, ethereal vignettes of semi-absent people, and figures which drift in and out of reality and abstraction. Here I look to disrupt reality, but in doing so get closer to reality. I'm looking to explore an emotional connection between the viewer and subject; for the viewer to consider the process of filling the void.
These figures are taken from magazines, newspapers and personal photos; they involve a process of erasure and removal, creating distortion and ambiguity between the figurative and the abstract. I explore the space in between, the moments of empty space, the missing form in the composition, and ultimately the emotional ambiguity that arises from it.
I’m also interested in the reduction of a physical presence, and how far that reduction can be pushed without losing a sense of the individual. Alongside this process I'm looking to create a heightened sense of a reality which on some levels disturbs and disrupts.
Ultimately, these paintings have no explicit meaning, rather they are a set of images existing in their own non-determined, semi-abstract, highly ambiguous worlds; worlds which seek to create an interaction and connection with the viewer.