Anthony Gow’s current body of work explores the subject as a poetic proposition impacted by interruption, memory, lament and introspection. Some of these works are created as a still life on a digital canvas that combines photography and painterly marks.
In part, the works were inspired by still-life painters of the Dutch Golden Age, in that they often included symbolic elements in the works linked to the human condition. Gow hopes that the audience will find openness in the work allowing for wide reader interpretation and recognise tension created through the juxtaposition of abstraction and reality. Gow is fascinated by ideas related to fixture, change, glitches, boundaries and layered reality
Self-taught or art school?
I went to Art School in Australia and studied Visual Arts at The University of Wollongong with majors in Painting, Sculpture and Printmaking. I completed an honours year with a sculpture installation.
If you could own one work of art what would it be?
One of Tacita Dean’s photographs, for example, the “ship of death”. I love the blurred elements, inclusions of text, the mysterious and desperate representation of the figures.
How would you describe your style?
I think my style is like an abstracted romanticism, where some elements are accessible and some are obscured, or juxtaposed with symbolic elements that hopefully raise questions for the audience.
Can you tell us about your artistic process?
I draw and keep visual diaries of my ideas on a regular basis. A lot of what I do happens through a process of play but always driven by deeply personal experiences, or thoughts. With painting, I like working in layers, use glazes and often draw into the canvas. I have recently been exploring digital artwork and approach my subject in a raw painterly way often with drawn marks. I tend to create series rather than one-off works.
Is narrative important within your work?
My work always has an important element of personal narrative. However, I purposely obscure these elements in the work. I suppose it’s like leaving a trace but not spelling out the whole story. This I feel leaves access to the work for its readers and creates openness.
Who are your favourite artists and why?
There are a lot of artists that I admire. I tend to enjoy contemporary art more than modernist movements. Artists like Tacita Dean, Joseph Beuys, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Marlene Dumas, Kara Walker, Gerhard Richter, Anselm Kiefer, Peter Doige and Mari Katayama. I like them for the deep layers of meaning, the aesthetic beauty, and often confronting subject matter.
What or who inspires your art?
I am often inspired by a close look at the elements around me and the personal connections I form with them. For example, when looking at flowers left behind, or forgotten I think about what they were before, they have their own beauty now but used to be something else. This seems like such a strong metaphor for how we are and the dynamics of memory and loss.
Where’s your studio and what’s it like?
My studio is anywhere I can find a space. I often use the studio at work, where I teach art. Currently, I am in the process of building a studio in the City of Perth, Scotland. It will have high windows to maximise both wall space and light.
Do you have any studio rituals?
I usually start by placing images together, recording thoughts and just playing. At times I just randomly start sticking elements down and working over the top of them like unconscious doodling. I love experimenting and recently I have begun thinking about using encaustic which might complement my recent digital works. I love the veil it creates. Always tea, as clarity of judgement is so vital.
What are you working on currently?
I am working on a number of drawings and encaustic canvases. I also have some more digital series in mind and really enjoy working with Adobe apps, because of the complexity of building layers.
Where can we buy your art?
I have a few works for sale at Saatchi Online and I can also be contacted privately.
