Anthony Dyke

“I create works of art that are abstract and deal with the push and pull of pictorial space.”

BIOGRAPHY

Anthony Dyke was born in Norwich, Vermont and attended The School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University earning a BFA and MFA in painting. As an artist and arts educator, he relocated from New York City to his down¬town Oklahoma City studio, working there for two decades before returning to Boston in 2020. Coming from VERMONT where the seasons are distinctly different from one another. My shift from a pastoral setting to an urban environment set up a dichotomy in my work, both visual and emotional. I have an extensive education in painting, photography, graphic design and figure sculpture. These mediums intersect in my work through many years of creating artworks and currently speak to my interest in abstract painting. During my senior year in the BFA Program at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, my large painting “Natole” was chosen by Frank Stella (the juror) into the highly competitive and prestigious Dana Pond Painting Competition.

ARTIST INSIGHTS

How are your background and life experiences connected to your art?

Coming from VERMONT where the seasons are distinctly different from one another. My shift from a pastoral setting to an urban environment set up a dichotomy in my work, both visual and emotional.

Who are some of your biggest artistic influences?

Hofmann, Diebenkorn, Richter and Rothko are big influences on my work.

How have you developed your artist career?

I have an extensive education in painting, photography, graphic design and figure sculpture. These mediums intersect in my work through many years of creating artworks and currently speak to my interest in abstract painting.

What does your artistic work intend to communicate to its audience?

I would like my audience to step out of the traditional way of thinking and looking at art – and into the realm of abstraction. I try to create a bridge between realism and visual abstraction.

Does your work comment on any current social or political issues?

No

Do you have a particular story that stands out from your career as an artist?

During my senior year in the BFA Program at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, my large painting “Natole” was chosen by Frank Stella (the juror) into the highly competitive and prestigious Dana Pond Painting Competition.

What is one thing you would like your audience to know about you?

I’m a closet blues harmonica player.

Which current art world trends are you following?

I like looking at all time periods of art including Contemporary Street Art and Outsider Art.

Why have you chosen to sell your work in the 1515 Lincoln Gallery?

I like having a presence in Oklahoma City after having taught and exhibited there for twenty-two years. I think the new 1515 Lincoln Gallery space is remarkable and I look forward to showing my paintings there.

What do you believe makes 1515 Lincoln Gallery distinct from other galleries?

I’ve known Susan McCalmont for a long time and she has always been a true advocate for the arts in Oklahoma. I believe she will do a great job in the direction she has planned for the gallery.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Emerging from figurative painting into the realm of abstraction, Tony Dyke draws inspiration from interior spaces and his urban surroundings. With a direct interest in the work of Diebenkorn and Hoffman, he manipulates images that are often reduced to shapes and areas of color in an intuitive process that leads his work to a uniquely painterly abstraction.