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David Antreasian New Mexico Abstract Artist

Life is mysterious and complex. Life tells us there is always much richer content beneath an obvious surface reality. My mission has always been to confront a viewer with an unexpected vision that hopefully breaks us out of this world and nudges us with questions of the unknown.

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I grew up in a family of artists which colored my perception of art from an early age. I quickly learned to appreciate both representational and abstract forms of art as equally valid methods of expression. I've always been strongly opinionated that photography be considered a perfectly valid form of fine art alongside painting or drawing, depending, of course, on the particular work. As I've grown older, I have developed a stronger personal bias toward abstraction and surrealism – or at least away from representational work.

My 50-year obsession with photography began with an introductory class at UNM in 1971 under Paige Pinnell and I’ve been actively working in that media ever since, later having studied with Wayne Lazorik and Betty Hahn. However, as I’ve always been fascinated by both art and technology, I chose a career in technology while continuing to make art to feed my creative side. Now retired, I feel quite fortunate to still be able to still enjoy viewing, exploring, and making new art. Some of my personal favorite photographic artists include: Man Ray, Ralph Gibson, Olivia Parker, Jan Groover, Frantisek Drtikol, and Jaroslav Rossler. However, I’m also strongly attracted to work of the surrealist painters from decades past - notably Magritte, Miro, Dali, De Chirico, and most recently Leonora Carrington, Kay Sage, and Dorothea Tanning.

For nearly 30 years I created traditional Black and White Silver Gelatin prints in a wet darkroom. Those last 10 years, I often hand applied oils over the prints and used other alternative process techniques.. My first public showing was in 1991 and after winning a competition a few years later, I had my first solo show in NYC. In 1995 I won the Willard Van Dyke Photography award and had my second solo show at the Megan Fox gallery in Santa Fe. Around 2004, I dismantled my last darkroom and now retired, have worked in a digital studio in my home.

Today, I often begin new work by cutting primary forms from plain white paper. I then arrange the forms into a composition which I photograph with a digital camera (usually an initial Black and White image). Afterward combining that image with others from a large library of images stored in the computer, I colorize and shape the image using a controlled lighting and palette. I may then manually paint over certain sections using computer tools, finally producing a photographic print in a small edition. Thus, my subject matter is now mostly non-objective, abstract, or surreal imagery constructed in a studio setting.

Whether the final imagery seems relevant to the worldly concerns of today will only be known to the individual viewer, but for me, art often speaks in a more universal language that can transcend our literal vision, our hopes and fears, and even our relevance in this world.

My work is held by The Albuquerque Museum of Art and History, The New Mexico Museum of Art, The Capitol building in Santa Fe, The City of Albuquerque, and many private collectors.

7/9/24

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