Antony Micallef

Antony Micallef (born 1975 in Swindon), English contemporary artist and painter.

Micallef’s work has been exhibited throughout the world and is currently represented by the lazarides gallery in London. He is currently showing prints in the Goodison room at the Tate Britain and is soon to exhibit 13ft bronze nickel plated sculptures and paintings at the Royal Academy in London from November 1st 2008.

His L.A show in downtown Hollywood Boulevard sold out in less than two hours.It's reported that collectors of his work include Damien Hirst, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Christina Aguilera, Robin Williams, Jude Law and Michael Stipe among others.

Art

Born in Swindon, England and a graduate in Fine Arts from the University of Plymouth, some of Micallef's work illustrates many contemporary cultural aspects and connects them with the human experience. His use of neutral colors and depictions of the human form in a Bacon like manner in his paintings delve beyond pop culture and bring to the surface many of the things that operate underneath the cultural construct. His mark making reflects the teachings of his tutor John Virtue who in turn was taught by Frank Auerbach. The London expressionist school of painting had clearly been passed on.

His extensive use of popular culture icons and corporate logos depicted along with the human form bring a very special style to his paintings. A visit to Japan in 1999 marked the beginning of his contemporary style and fascination with cultural icons and motifs and their relation to society and the individual.He was the winner of the second prize of the BP/Amoco Portrait award 2000 at the National Portrait Gallery,London.

Anthony Micallef moved away from strict portraiture preferring to combine his exquisite draughtsmanship with a dark and passionate exploration of colour and contemporary expressionism as a means of dissecting what he sees as the frivolities of pop culture. He says; “The trouble with pop imagery is that it doesn’t really go deeper than the surface, you have to drag it down and challenge it to make it interesting. When you put two contrasting images together it causes friction and that is the bit I’m interested in.” In the present work, the dark, Bacon-esque smears to the face conjure unlooked for associations when combined with the delicately alluring roses, the juxtaposition revealing at once the saccharine seduction of colourful pop imagery and consumerism alongside its dark and troubling underbelly. This complexity and brutal beauty explain why Anthony Micallef has become one of the most promising young artists working in Britain today.

Artist Statement

cquote|When I begin painting a face it feels like I'm facing for marks randomly, trying to catch an expression of a character, an identity.cite web |url=http://www.the-artists.org/ArtistView.cfm?id=7783040C-9CF0-0DE9-0A0BD2AABAC7E934
title=Antony Micallef
publisher=the-artists.org
accessdate=2006-08-04]

cquote|My work is like watching a Disney movie which slowly turns into violent pornography.cite web |url=http://www.the-artists.org/ArtistView.cfm?id=7783040C-9CF0-0DE9-0A0BD2AABAC7E934
title=Antony Micallef
publisher=the-artists.org
accessdate=2006-08-04]

ee also

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.micallef.co.uk/ Micallef's Website ]
* [http://www.antonymicallef.com/gallery.php Online Gallery ]
* [http://www.lazinc.com Lazinc.com]
* [http://www.picturesonwalls.com Picturesonwalls.com]