Image; Norton Pease, “Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black (CMYK),” 2020, acrylic and ink on archival paper, 26 x 40 inches
A WEST WING PROJECT SPACE ONLINE EXHIBITION
“When I was seven, I moved from a diverse community to one that was homogeneously white. At this formative age, I recognized this lack of diversity as a loss. The awareness that came from this shift in surroundings became my MFA Thesis's primary focus and a foundation for my continued work.
I work with various painting and print media to create abstract and figurative portrayals to address white privilege. As part of my creative process, I sift through American Culture's detritus, finding inspiration from children's books, news footage, comic books, and advertisements. I use imagery as a nuanced commentary, allowing different perspectives to dialogue on issues that have reached an apex.
These paintings are the products of three varied projects from September 2019 to July 2021. Although the representations in these paintings are differential in style, periods, and initial intent, they conjoin through proximity and their place of white privilege.”
— Norton Pease
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Norton Pease received his MFA from Washington University in St. Louis in 1999. Norton's work has been exhibited nationally in museums and galleries across the US. In addition to his practice in fine art, Norton has industry experience as a graphic designer from 2002-2011, creating Flash websites that have won awards, including several American Advertising Awards, formerly the ADDY's. In addition to published work, Norton has a US Patent for a painting technique. He currently lives in Statesboro, GA, where he is an Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities and is a Professor of Art in the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art at Georgia Southern University.