Skewed Views of Everyday Life: Art by Allen Wittert
Intricate Rites, acrylic and oil on canvas
Allen Wittert resides in Walnut Creek, California, where he works as a painter. Allen’s painting practice is influenced by cubism and impressionism, and often features slightly skewed views of everyday life. The artist draws inspiration from years spent travelling, teaching, and working in the advertising industry.
I’m really liking Allen’s portrait paintings, which seem to draw some inspiration from Picasso. These works are brighter and more colorful than real life, with the artist simple swapping out colors rather than using a tint or a shade to build volume. Allen uses heavy, dark line work to create his figures, with extra emphasis on the facial features and expressions. The works are almost surreal, but still manage to capture the look and essence of their subject.
The artist is also adept at abstraction, whether he comes at a painting from a perspective of pure abstraction, or creates an abstract work based on a scene. His abstract works draw from the same set of aesthetic principles as his cityscapes, which consist of groupings of colored patches, embellished with occasional line work.
