Painting titled "An Interview" by Pete Nawara, Original Artwork, Acrylic

An Interview (2013) Painting by Pete Nawara

Not For Sale

Original Artwork Painting, Acrylic on Canvas

Artworks classification

Original Artwork

Original Artwork refers to any work that is considered authentic and not a copy or imitation of the original works of an artist. Original artwork can be any type of painting, sculpture, performance, or other media. There are many types of original media. Mixed media includes oil, acrylic, and watercolor paintings. For workshop paintings that bear evidence of master craftsmanship, this attribution must be further qualified. While they may be less valuable for different reasons, reproductions and copies have had a tremendous impact on our experience. They reach a greater audience than originals and act as a tonic against commodification. Original Artwork could also refer to the first work, which is always preceding all others. It could also refer to a prototype or a model from which other works can be made. Each work bears great similarities to the original.
Dimensions Height 3in, Width 60in
Categories Paintings under $20,000 Figurative

Acrylic and 24k Gold Leaf About this artwork: Classification, Techniques & Styles Acrylic Paint using traditional pigments mixed with synthetic resins.

Pete Nawara

United States

As an artist, I often find myself reading artists statements of various kinds. Time and again, these writings consist of endless babble about what the artist thinks the viewer is interested in knowing about the work. Usually, the artist is completely wrong about what things the viewer is interested in knowing about the work. I do not claim to be any different. In my original writings for this document, I will admit that I did my fair share of babbling, mostly about my concerns of the art world, and my issues with conceptual art.

I have found myself in too many museums, completely bewildered by what artists are trying to say, and most of the time, completely disgusted by what they are getting away with. Don’t get me wrong, I am aware of the important impact conceptual art has had on art history, but the statements people are making today are commonly irrelevant to society, or if they do hold any significance, it is completely lost on the general public. This isn’t even the worse part. Usually, it doesn’t even look good.

I strive to make objects that are aesthetically pleasing. The use of photography, computer software, and projection, gives the work a contemporary feel, while thinned out acrylic paint and gouache markers keeps with the tradition of paint on canvas. The flattened areas of vibrant color and larger than life portraits relate to the era of pop art, while still maintaining a relationship with the advancing technology of computer art. Exhibiting the use of, what I like to call, analog vector graphics, the pieces are assembled with a certain disregard for the realism of the original photographic portrait.

The physical process starts with the camera. A subject is chosen and asked to pose. The camera is set on a tripod and the subject is asked to pretend the camera is a mirror, and that they are ‘checking themselves out’. Several photos are taken and then transferred into the computer for digital modifications. The photos are then touched up and arranged in a composition. Then, using vector tools, they are traced into shapes of color. Once they have been ‘vectorized’, they are printed in greyscale. The printed piece is then projected onto canvas and the piece is loosely traced. The shapes are then filled in with acrylic paint thinned with water, and gouache markers. Lastly, gold leaf is applied.

The end result is an aesthetic object that uses color and texture to entice the viewer’s eye. The conceptual ideas behind the work are for the observer to interpret on their own, or to not interpret at all. The idea is that the pieces are aesthetic and whether you like them or not, they have an immediate presence. They are not difficult to comprehend visually or conceptually.