Sheridan Russell Gallery

As an artist, George Antoni is primarily self-taught. Although he studied art at West Ham College of Further Education after leaving school, he also had an interest in drama. A three year course at E15 Acting School leads to a thirty year career in film, TV and theatre. He briefly practiced black and white photography, but it was only when he left London and moved to Brighton that he took up painting again, initially inspired by the expansive skies and dramatic seascapes. Although the work is ever changing, the influence of coastal life is still evident in his current works. With his paintings Antoni taps into his unconscious. He starts with only a loose intention, allowing the piece to evolve through numerous generations. He wants the end with the idea rather than start with it. Much is left to chance and the viewer is invited to bring their own interpretation to the finished work. The greater the number of interpretations the better. What interests him is the emotional response to a painting void of depiction. The works are of mixed media, using, predominately, layers of household emulsion on fibre board, but incorporate acrylic pigments, ink and, in some cases, wood dye. Each piece undergoes a process of construction and degradation impossible to replicate. He is fascinated by the way we find beauty in deterioration, especially in an epoch of the new, disposable and replaceable. When finished the pieces are wax polished, not only for protection but to add a further dimension. The works are highly tactile. People are drawn to touch them. They invite examination from inches away as the tiny imperfect variations are as significant as the overall composition.