Brett Amory
Brett Amory gained broad recognition for his ongoing series “Waiting” (2001–), depicting anonymous commuters he encountered in urban settings; it was lauded for its psychological depth and representations of alienation in contemporary society. These paintings are based on photographs taken by the artist, who explained he was drawn to subjects who appeared out of place, alienated, or awkward. In the more recent paintings from the series, Amory began to eliminate parts of the architecture or scenery to heighten the sense of isolation. He paints in a realist style characterized by gestural brushwork and the use of translucent layers of paint for a hazy effect; his palette is muted and tends towards contrasts of dark and light. While his influences vary, Amory has said that the New Topographics have been an influence, for their similar pursuit of capturing beauty in the everyday and overlooked.
Armory's work has appeared in a number of solo exhibitions internationally, at galleries including Luggage Store Gallery in San Francisco; Jonathan LeVine in New York; Fort Wayne Museum in Indiana; Lazarides Gallery in London; Singular Gallery in Croatia; Sandra Lee Gallery in San Francisco; Anno Domini in San Jose; and Thinkspace in Los Angeles. He is the recipient of a number …
Brett Amory gained broad recognition for his ongoing series “Waiting” (2001–), depicting anonymous commuters he encountered in urban settings; it was lauded for its psychological depth and representations of alienation in contemporary society. These paintings are based on photographs taken by the artist, who explained he was drawn to subjects who appeared out of place, alienated, or awkward. In the more recent paintings from the series, Amory began to eliminate parts of the architecture or scenery to heighten the sense of isolation. He paints in a realist style characterized by gestural brushwork and the use of translucent layers of paint for a hazy effect; his palette is muted and tends towards contrasts of dark and light. While his influences vary, Amory has said that the New Topographics have been an influence, for their similar pursuit of capturing beauty in the everyday and overlooked.
Armory's work has appeared in a number of solo exhibitions internationally, at galleries including Luggage Store Gallery in San Francisco; Jonathan LeVine in New York; Fort Wayne Museum in Indiana; Lazarides Gallery in London; Singular Gallery in Croatia; Sandra Lee Gallery in San Francisco; Anno Domini in San Jose; and Thinkspace in Los Angeles. He is the recipient of a number of awards including the BP Award from the National Portrait Gallery in London (2016); Distinguished Alumni Award from the Academy of Arts University (2014); and First Place at Art Interview International Competition (2009). He has held residencies at de Young Museum in San Francisco (2017), Ft. Wayne Museum in Indiana (2016), and Symposium International at Baie-Saint-Paul in Quebec (2014).
Courtesy of Robert Fontaine Gallery
Museum of Contemporary Art of Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec
