Artist Statement
Currently he is working on a series called “coastal”.
This is in response to living in Scotland, on the North East Fife coast and absorbing the changing light and atmospheric conditions.
Predominantly working in oils and with the use of a plasterer’s trowel, he conjures up images from the imagination and memory, manipulating the paint to flow in an organic, natural way mimicking the aqua nature of the changing landscape that surrounds him.
Process is key to pushing the boundaries of the medium and represents the emotive nature of the landscape that can reflect an inner state of being.
In these works a distance and horizontal theme emerge out of both the physical use of working with the edge of the trowel and a metaphorical journey.
“Art is longing. You never arrive but you keep going in the hope that you will”
Anselm Kiefer.
These works contain a mythical layer and an “imaginary land” quality both real and fathomed.
He is also working on a series called “Coastal-local” which subtly reflects the influence of global events on our local position, “whatever is happening in the world, the sea brings in”.
This work is more abstract in form but still remains routed in the coastal location and is influenced by colour field painting of mid century American abstract expressionism. The same technique of using trowels of varying sizes is employed resulting in large-scale works, balancing colour, form and texture.
Education
Diploma Art & Design/BA (Hons) Fine Art, Liverpool. 1985-89
MFA Dundee. 1998
Anton is a contemporary Scottish artist that is based on the North East coast of Fife in Newport on Tay and a studio in Tayport.
He trained as a painter in Liverpool, in the late 80’s, spending 11 years working and practicing in the arts he moved back up to Scotland to complete the MFA, in fine art in context, in 1998.
Anton has continued to work in the arts as a freelance exhibition technician whilst maintaining his art practice.
After training as figurative painter predominantly working in oil on canvas, he moved to abstraction as a form of expression, exploring varied processes including, painting with half meter wide brushes to compositions constructed from carpet tiles to stitched fabric.
He has exhibited widely in galleries and non-conventional spaces including in a telephone box. He has also worked on many temporary public art projects, from work on bus stops, flagpoles and large scale outdoor projections.