Anton Psak is a Slovakian-born UK-based contemporary artist who works in various styles but is mostly recognized for his oil paintings. In this interview, he talks about art, the major influences in his work, and his plans for the future.
Art has always been a part of your life. When did you know you would become an artist?
When I was 14 I had a chance to see a documentary movie about Howard Hodgkin; it was incredibly moving for me, and I could imagine myself to have a life like him. Later when I was 18 a friend of mine introduced me to painting and that was The Moment when nothing else had greater meaning than time spent in the studio working on my paintings.
I would say I started quite late compared to other fellow artists of my age. When I was a child, I did not really understand my ability of empathy towards other people and possibilities of non-verbal interpretation.
As a contemporary artist, who influenced you the most?
The biggest impact on my practice in conceptual and, at the same time, visual (reflecting terms of the fracture) sense came from Howard Hodgkin, Gerhard Richter, Nigel Cooke and Jonas Burgert.
From an academic point of view is an essential skill to be able to source your practice but I try to be genuine as much as possible.
How has your style evolved over time?
It is everyday challenges that evolve my style. Also, with a better understanding of the medium used, I changed a lot and probably will change even more (or less). However, I do not have a personal preference for a single style in my practice.
In today’s digital world, how does an oil painter “survive”?
It is tough but possible. Technological revelation is fast and definitely is a reason some artists are not making a living from commissions like in old days, but the painting was, is and will remain painting. The work of the great masters is timeless, and the same still applies today to contemporary art.
Compared to Slovakia, what’s the UK art scene like?
I’ve been living in the UK for more than ten years so I’m not really sure. However, from my memories I can say the people in Slovakia are more traditionally orientated than here.
What are you working on right now?
I’ve planning for a while to further develop my “Fields” paintings into “hybrid fields”. There are lots of preparation for a new body of work like sketches, picture plane planning, canvas’s structure assessment, and size consideration reflecting the possible impact on the viewer.
Are you planning any new shows?
At the moment, I am in the middle of negotiation with a few galleries, so let’s hope something nice will happen in the near future.
