I am fascinated by the visual coincidences and curious juxtapositions that occur between people and their environments, man-made objects, and the things of the natural world. Instances of seemingly unrelated entities having kindred forms, are suggestive of a universal connectedness, and often reveal unsought meaning. My works reflecting this create formal links between subject, object and background, infusing otherwise ordinary moments with irony, humor and whimsy. Some can be unambiguous, while others are suggestive of a deeper open-ended narrative.
A figurative artist, my paintings and drawings veer toward abstraction. I make use of Picassoesque deconstruction and rearrangement of forms, compressed and blocky composition, bold outlining and geometric patterns. I employ Mondrian’s reductive use of line and color, de Chirico’s illogical perspective, and Magritte’s use of familiar objects in unexpected contexts. My work is also influenced by a throng of contemporary artists, illustrators and tattooers from several generations such as Peter Saul, Duke Riley, Steven Harrington and Andy Rementer. The tension arising from my use of the seemingly cartoonish for both my playful and serious messaging is an intentional and essential element of my work.
I was born in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio in 1980, and raised amid the campus of a small liberal arts college, a few streets from a defunct quarry. In 2003 I received a Bachelor of Science in Design from The Ohio State University’s Department of Industrial, Interior and Visual Communication Design. After nearly two decades working as a graphic designer, art director and creative director for internationally recognized agencies, studios and brands in Boston, New York, Los Angeles and Amsterdam (view that work here) I have more recently made a gradual foray into fine art and illustration. My studio is located in Bushwick, Brooklyn, NYC.
Instagram: @tony_bartolucci