Peter Kuttner | Featured Artist
June 19, 2019
Artist Statement:
"When I’m painting, I tend to yield to the spontaneous development of the artwork. I allow gravity and evaporation to become my allies in creating each piece. I enjoy being a mere observer in the organic processes that occur without human influence, both inside and outside of the studio. The ethereal quality of my work is created one thin layer at a time with great care and patience. The organic aesthetic that these dozens of layers create cannot be replicated by any hurried methods– they must be left to develop on their own.
The heart of my life and work is conservation. Apart from creating an aesthetic, I try to create each piece as conscientiously as possible. I try to create zero-waste art. This is most apparent in my Mixed Tape series in which I create works entirely with would-be byproducts from my other works. The layers of archival materials in the Mixed Tapes series can resemble sedimentary geological formations or a stack of magazines. Each layer of tape comes from a different painting, project, or point in time. It is the mixed history of these pieces that gives them the complexity reminiscent of the natural world.
In the Billboard series, I create time capsules that explore the duality of the calmness and chaos of living in the present world. I’m interested in using found objects, upcycled books, magazines, newsprint, and other print materials to assemble contemporary archives that ask the viewer to reflect on their own ephemeral footprint.
In my Cut-Out series, I use a process not unlike that of Matisse. The economy of design and the utilitarian simplicity therein allow for the creation of simple, archetypal pieces. I use familiar yet abstracted details to suspend the viewer in contemplation of the universality of imagery. Using negative shapes and emphasizing spacial relationships, I carefully consider scale and balance. Works in this series are meant to be lively, colorful, utopian, and uplifting. It is in these works where I feel most connected to my background in art, design, and illustration."
