T H I S I S M E
A SELECTION OF PAINTINGS AND POETRY BY ANTHONY KEOGH
A work of art does not answer questions
It provokes them
And it’s essential meaning is the tension
between the contradictory answers
Leonard Bernstein
I love working with colour and the tension of objects, people and images in an everyday environment.
My paintings are not structured and start as a seed of thought, becoming a journey of exploration and enjoyment. I revel in the crudity of application and colour, breaking as many conceptual rules as possible.
I am inspired by colour and people within architectural spaces and enjoy re-contextualizing images from classical art into my spaces. I do not plan the layout of painting and do not have pre-constructed working drawings, but rather allow the painting to grow as I work. Painting into the unknown.
I believe paintings are like words, powerful, prophetic and personal, reflecting something of the artist but also of the viewer.
And so you paint your story onto the canvas, not with words, but with colour, shapes and images and when complete it says something to someone and if you look deep enough- maybe even to you.
I am influenced by numerous artists and structure my artworks by re contextualizing existing images and combining them with my own, in a setting of exaggerated perspective, proportion and colour.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Anthony was born in Grahamstown in 1956. He moved to Port Elizabeth in 1964. After completing his studies at Lawson Brown School of Art, Anthony toured South Africa as a guitarist / vocalist in a music group, visiting the islands of Mauritius and La Reunion. He returned to South Africa to complete his military training, after which he joined the Shoe Industry, obtained his ABSI-SA Dip. at The Leather Industries Research Institute and completed his training as a Shoe Designer. In 1981 he joined the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum [formerly The King George VI Art Gallery ] as a Professional Officer, studied part time for a Bachelor of Art –Fine Art through UNISA [ incomplete ] and trained for several years as a Restorer of Easel Painting. In 1989 he became Head Conservator at the museum until retirement in 2021.
Always interested in art and music, Anthony found that working in an Art Museum environment stimulated and encouraged him to start painting more seriously. He found the, diverse and vibrant population in South Africa, provided a stimulating and colourful subject matter .
His earlier works depict the tension and struggle of a nation whilst his later works depict a more introspective look at his personal conflicts and struggles.