The foundation of Tony Philippou's paintings and illustrations are the principles of light color and design. Following in the footsteps of, Vermeer, he has put light and perceptions of it first and foremost, allowing the viewers to grasp mood based on illumination.
Originally from the Bronx, Philippou was fascinated with comic books at an early age and Lichtenstein's influence, Rockwell's and Bacon's, is apparent in his works. Philippou’s uses pulsating colors and geometrical figures to contextualize his subjects and define their character. A woman's dress may have a wild triangular pattern, while the figure of another may appear to merge with her environment. Somehow they are out of place in our reality, yet comfortable in theirs.
Philippou's art became a reality at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, where he made the transitions from illustrations to oils. In addition Philippou has used his paintings as a springboard to the commercial arena, where his strokes can be seen graphically on T-shirts and in advertisements.
Influences
MY OLD SCHOOL FAVORITES: MONET, MANET, KLIMT, SCHIELE, PICASSO, REMBRANDT, N.C. WYETH, NORMAN ROCKWELL.
CURRENTLY ACTIVE ARTISTS: EKUNDAYO, SHAWN BARBER, AUDREY KAWASAKI, SYLVIA JI, MARTIN WITTFOOTH, ZACH JOHNSON, MARION BOLOGNESI, JOHNNY RODRIGUEZ, STELLA IM HULTBERG, MICHAEL HUSSAR, KRIS LEWIS.
Soundtrack
1. THE HIVES- WELL ALRIGHT
2. LIL WEEZY- UPGRADE YOU
3. JOHN FRUSCIANTE- INSIDE A BREAK
Artist Since
…WELL I'VE BEEN DRAWING SINCE I WAS 5 AND HAVEN'T STOPPED. BUT TO BE A LIL BIT MORE TECHNICAL I WOULD SAY I STARTED TAKING IT MORE SERIOUS IN HIGH SCHOOL SO THAT WOULD BE AROUND 92 OR 93.
Goal
I WANT YOUR ATTENTION!!!, I WANT TO MAKE SOMETHING SO DAMN ATTRACTIVE YOU WANT TO LOOK AT IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
