About the work
The paintings capture fragmentary instances of urban living. Although the
individuals in the work inhabit a world of isolation and transience, they do
share moments of tender, intimate experience - there is hope in humanity’s
basic instincts to find love and companionship.
Artist Statement.
In a period when the use of new technology is championed in art practice,
figurative painting can seem far removed from this contemporary process.
My decision to use alchemic materials such as paint and brushes to
construct a language of marks, runs contrary to the often nihilistic reliance
on modern technology to provide all the answers.
As sources of inspiration I am especially drawn to the poetry of W.H.Auden,
Baudlaire’s description of the Flâneur and T.S. Eliot’s prophetic vision of Tiresias.
I am interested in breaking up the surface of the painting, using multiple
perspectives and viewpoints and a variety of materials to produce unexpected
painterly effects and visual ambiguities. As a consequence the spectator is
compelled to visually traverse these fragmented compositions, and experience
fleeting moments of the innate theatricality of daily life.
Anthony Pilbro. 2010.
Anthony Pilbro had support from Mayo Co. Co. to send work to Berlin.