Artist Anthony Michael Sneed has been hard at work on the brand-new, geometric trompe l’oeil pieces he’s creating for his “Grand Illusion,” opening July 9th at Shooting Gallery. He’s been updating us with the progress of the works, and we’re so excited – we had to share it with you! Check out a few more photos after the jump:
The exterior wall of Brooklyn’s Boundless boutique has officially been taken over by Anthony Sneed‘s electric blue geometrics! A space where most Brooklynites were used to seeing a huge wall piece by Lister, there now exists a large-scale version of his illusionistic geometric works. Just a tiny taste of what you can expect at his solo show, “Grand Illusion,” opening July 9th at the Shooting Gallery.
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Shooting Gallery Presents:
Grand Illusion, Work by Anthony Michael Sneed
Shooting Gallery is pleased to present Grand Illusion, an installation of intensely colorful, visually striking paintings and handmade wooden object installations by Brooklyn-based artist Anthony Michael Sneed. This will be Sneed’s very first project with Shooting Gallery, and his first solo gallery exhibition in the Bay Area. In addition to the works featured in the exhibition, he will be releasing a limited edition print with Paper Monster. The opening reception is scheduled for Saturday, July 9, from 7-11 pm, and the exhibition is free and open to the public for viewing through July 30.
Inspiration is a compelling force for Sneed, who pulls from a long list of influences for the pieces featured in Grand Illusion. By reexamining his own points of reference (including everything from coloring contests – to growing up surrounded by architectural references, courtesy of his mother), he’s able to condense things to their most solid form, reverting to the beginnings of his connection to color and pattern. Straightforward in their form, bold, bright, and highly graphic, with just the right amount of painterly illusion – the pieces are Sneed’s most current iteration of his color theory exploration. While working to evoke the feeling of immersion in his work, Sneed also employs the painterly technique of trompe l’oeil, in an attempt to catch the viewer off balance. His inclination for slight-of-hand may come from the artist’s ambidextrous His painted shadows often give way to real shadows, and call for a closer look at each piece. The exhibition boasts a combination of works on canvas, as well as intricately constructed works on panel.
As a small child, Sneed suffered an accident that crushed his right hand, permanently disabling its use and thereby forcing him to become ambidextrous. The implications of being right handed and switching to left as a result of this trauma and the plausible impact it has on his right versus left brain functions fascinates Sneed, and inspires inquiry into how that has translated in his work. Legos, video games, optical illusions and even the arts and craft association of the artist’s process are derivative of Sneed’s childhood memories. These tools and their application to the large-scale canvas comprise an ultimately self-referential language dominated by the basic geometric nature of the pixel. Angular shapes and rational lines constitute the visual framework across all the mediums in which he works and gives form to ideas, both abstract and conceptual.
Anthony Michael Sneed is a self-taught multi-platform visual artist who lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. Sneed has participated in both the Miami and New York City iterations of the Fountain mural project, as well as garnering shows at ArtJail and Leo Kesting in New York City.
Media Opportunities:
Interview with artist Anthony Michael Sneed
Interview with owner/founder/curator Justin Giarla
High-resolution images available upon request
Event Information:
Grand Illusion
Opening Reception – July 9, 2024, 7-11 pm
On View Through July 30, 2024,
@ Shooting Gallery (shootinggallerysf.com)
839 Larkin St,
San Francisco, CA
We were so happy to see that Warholian’s Michael Cuffe finished up the editing on a new video interview with Shooting Gallery artist Aaron Nagel, coinciding with the work he made for “A Thin Line” (which is up in Shooting Gallery RIGHT NOW – you should totally stop in and see it for yourself…we’re open until 7!).
Aaron talks about his background as an artist, his relationship to oil paint, and demystifies some of his aesthetic elements in the interview. Definitely worth watching. Great job, Michael!!
Indoor Mural Project artist Chor Boogie interviewed the twenty-six artists of Art Official Truth for New York Optimist, and we thought we’d share some answers from APEX, Aaron Nagel, and Akira Beard:
Chor: Why do you do this thing called Art?
Aaron Nagel: I have to, there’s really no other way to put it.
Chor: Do you consider yourself a humble artist ..or a self centered artist ? Tell the Truth..
Aaron Nagel: I’m not sure those are opposing traits. I think at heart, most artists are probably pretty self-centered, myself included. I think it takes a certain person to be able to spend so much time working on their own work, in their own world, in search of self-expression. but I don’t necessarily think that means the self-centered are not humble. I think as an artist, I am incredibly
humble…there are examples of better painters than I am everywhere!
In his review, Warholian‘s Michael Cuffe attempts to expand upon the ‘line’ that artist Aaron Nagel walks confidently on with his new body of work, A Thin Line. He masterfully jumps back and forth between loose, painterly technique and a meticulous sense of realism, positioning himself on “the crossroads – letting go of realist ideals, and creating something entirely new.” Stop by the gallery to see the show for yourself, we’re here 12-7 pm Tuesday – Saturday!
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Brooklyn-based artist Anthony Sneed will be bringing his intensely hued paintings and hand crafted installations to the Shooting Gallery in July with his new show Grand Illusion. Here are some sneek peeks of a few works that show just how expertly Sneed can employ visual illusions, incorporating painted shadows on paintings that transform their appearance into that of 3-dimensional objects. For the show Sneed has pulled together a wide array of influences to produce his singularly unique investigation into color theory. Bold blocks of color and geometric patterning further develop as you look at them, with the subtle variations of color seeming to swell and shift.
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Hal from Rotting Graphics snapped some sick photos of Skinner working in his studio, making crazy art wizard magic! Take a peek at the new direction Skinner’s art is taking for his solo show, The Fragile Art of Existence, at Shooting Gallery opening August 6th. His customary ultra-bright color schemes are still present, but there is a softer, more self-reflective edge revealing itself in this new body of work. Stay tuned for more updates on Skinner and his new work as we get closer to August. If you just can’t get enough, there are more process shots on flickr or at theartofskinner.com.
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Arrested Motion stopped by for Aaron Nagel‘s opening of A Thin Line on Saturday night, which had an impressive turn out! It was great to see everyone spending ample amounts of time investigating Aaron’s new paintings – which seem to photo-realistically capture their subjects, while simultaneously harnessing some kind of supernatural aura. See the full article here and catch more photos after the jump! Read more »
Hi-Fructose got some great shots of Aaron Nagel’s work space during their studio visit, and just shared them with us! It’s so interesting to see where an artist spends their most creative moments, and take a look at all of the tools that go into their trade. Beautiful art can look completely effortless, like a product manifested by sheer artistic focus – but peeking inside the artists’ studio, seeing all the tubes of paint, mixing jars, brushes and easels, is a reminder of just how much work goes into a painting. Join us tonight at Shooting Gallery form 7-11 pm for the opening of A Thin Line! And check out more photos on Hi-Fructose!
