What do you get when you mix a surrealist painter with an environmental obsession? Vibrant paintings of hermit crabs wearing soda caps as shells. A gorilla slurping a can of Reddi-whip. And two grizzly bears fighting over a gumball machine. For a start.
Before he started making his distinctive paintings, Anthony Solano struggled to find the connections between his art and the world. That is, until he combined art with what he'd learned about the damages of human plastic consumption. And while we might not all be painting hermit crabs, any creative who's ever struggled to find their voice will relate to his story.
Visit Anthony's website to see his art: AnthonySolanoArt.com. He also references a video showing Richart Sowa's Island Made of Plastic Bottles, which is worth seeing.
Watch the video of Anthony's talk on CreativeMornings.com. It was given at CreativeMornings/Portland, a free monthly community event.
More about Anthony:
Having spent his childhood years between California and Guadalajara, Mexico, Anthony Solano turned to art at a young age, seeing it as both a source of escape and comfort. In high school he was exposed to painting for the first time, sparking what would become his life’s passion. A self-taught painter, Anthony now resides in Portland, Oregon and credits the local landscape for a major creative shift, from abstract painting to the surreal genre that he currently practices. His work explores today’s environmental conflicts, communicated with vibrant hyper-realistic imagery and thought-provoking storytelling. A sense of optimism and hope within his work allows the viewer to experience a complex, emotional response.
Creation of this podcast wouldn't have been possible without the support of:
- A 2024 grant from the Regional Arts and Culture Council
- Annual event support from local partner Wacom
- Production by Johnny Subia and Weird Wonderful
- The 2024 event volunteer team: Kaitlin Carpenter, Chamisa Kellogg, Charli Beck, Christopher Diego, Ivan Lima, Joan Stewart, Kaveer Rai, Laura Mark, Laura Nickelhoff, Lucy Nobles, Sarah Nordby, Sumeet Singh, Tyler Nordby and Vinnie Balistreri
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