Bart Dluhy
Artist Statement
Early in my career my artworks were based in realistic, traditional painting. I was fascinated by an artist’s ability to make objects look three dimensional on a two-dimensional surface. After years of working in this style I felt there was something missing from my work. I experimented with several different approaches and ended up focusing on composition and the abstract nature of the formal qualities of my art. I compose the still life arrangements to portray a surreal quality that subtly suggests man’s violent relationship with nature. Our society’s need to master the natural world and manipulate it for its own benefit, despite the consequences, is a serious concern for me. Opposed to spoon-feeding the viewer I keep the violence restrained, allowing the audience to develop their own interpretations. My work is also informed and influenced by my wife’s lengthy battle with cancer. The frustrations and helplessness I have experienced manifest in paintings. The cathartic nature of these works has given me greater personal satisfaction and a more positive response from viewers.
I also like to play with the color palette of my paintings, carefully selecting foreground colors that will be harmonious with the color of the subject matter. Most of my paintings are relatively large scale so I build my own stretchers and stretch and gesso the canvas myself. Once the gesso is dry I tone the canvas in a color that complements the subject matter (i.e. a painting of red apples might begin with a yellow-green, toned background). I will lightly sketch the images in white conte and paint in the subject matter in oil. Finally, I will choose a color to lay over the background area in a patchy application that allows the toned ground to show through and unify the entire painting. The dialogue between the color of the toned background and the color of the patchy top layer is extremely important as it needs to be harmonious or create tension, yet not overpower the realistic subject matter. I apply the top, patchy layer with a palette knife allowing for spontaneity.
In some of my paintings from the Tools and Food series I like to leave little areas unpainted. I am very selective with which parts don’t get completed such as the stem of an apple, the shadow of a jar, or the base of a battery. I am also referencing the idea that things aren’t always as they seem: People create facades depending on various social constructs, marketing campaigns are generally manipulative, and our desires sometimes turn out not to be what we truly want.
My recent explorations have taken me to explore my relationship with pathology and disease, and the effect these have on humans. One path has led me to juxtapose pharmaceuticals with everyday objects to expose the ubiquity of medications without commenting negatively or positively on the topic. The other path has been to explore the emotions associated with the challenges of pathology and disease through a non-objective approach. The mark making, the layering, the color choices are all expressive decisions that communicate my personal connection with infirmity. Through this approach, my goal is to communicate the subtleties of feelings and concepts that can’t be put into words.