Tony Pedemonte

Born 1954, Oakland, California
Has practiced at Creative Growth since 2009

Tony Pedemonte constructs armatures of wood and recycled materials that he then wraps in layers of yarn and thread until the structure is nearly concealed. Pedemonte works with high energy and intention - never pausing to consider his next move, just following his own intuition. Despite comparison to Creative Growth artist Judith Scott, Pedemonte’s process and finished work is entirely different from Scott’s (whom he never met), demonstrated by their tactile and enigmatic presence. Like his sculptures, his works on paper begin with a drawn figure that he obscures with frenzied mark making and sweeping gestures that cover his workspace and reach beyond the paper’s edge. Watching Pedemonte work is like an athletic or performative feat - his is grounded by the use of his body as a tool for expression. Pedemonte is a recipient of the 2021 Wynn Newhouse Award.

Tony Pedemonte construye armaduras de madera y materiales reciclados que luego envuelve en capas de estambre e hilo hasta que la estructura queda casi oculta. Pedemonte trabaja con gran energía e intención - nunca se detiene para considerar su próximo movimiento, solo sigue su propia intuición. A pesar de la comparación con la artista de Creative Growth Judith Scott, el proceso y el trabajo terminado de Pedemonte es completamente diferente al de Scott (a quien nunca conoció), demostrado por su presencia táctil y enigmática. Al igual que sus esculturas, sus obras en papel comienzan con una figura dibujada que oscurece con marcas frenéticas y gestos de barrido que cubren su espacio de trabajo y llegan más allá del borde del papel. Ver trabajar a Pedemonte es como una hazaña atlética o performativa - su práctica se basa en el uso de su cuerpo como herramienta de expresión. Pedemonte recibió el Premio Wynn Newhouse 2021.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

2022
Natural Abstraction, Cavin-Morris Gallery, New York
Gesture of Lines, Tokyo Shibuya Koen-dori Gallery, Tokyo

2021
Super-Rough, Outsider Art Fair, New York, curated by Takashi Murakami
Vibrant, Nina Johnson Gallery, Miami

2020
Inter-Avant-Garde, Nebraska Wesleyan University, Lincoln
Art Brut Global, online exhibition

2019
Art Paris, Paris
NADA House, Governor’s Island, New York

2018
Outsider Art Fair, New York
Visual Oasis: Works from Creative Growth, Carson City
Process and Presence, Grand Rapids
Tony Pedemonte, Aesop, San Francisco
New Art Dealers Alliance Fair, New York

2016
Common Threads, 836M, San Francisco
Spotlight, Cavin-Morris Gallery, New York
Take A Seat, St. Supery Estate Vineyard and Winery, Napa Valley, curated by Topher Delaney
Celebrating a Vision: Art and Disability, SFO Museum, San Francisco International Airport, San Francisco
Outsider Art Fair, New York
Maverick, Cavin-Morris Gallery, New York

2015
Outsider Art Fair, Paris

2013
Outsider Art Fair, New York

2012
New Art Dealers Alliance Fair, Miami

2011
Revealed, Galerie Drylewicz, Paris