Interview by Erin Leigh.
Utah up and coming artist Anthony Granato is self diagnosed with a serious case of ‘Art ADD’ and after observing the hard evidence of his mixed media collaborations it seems his behavior meets the criteria and we must concur. His blend of hard edge futuristic war with old school vintage framing does seem a little crazy but that’s just one of the many reasons why we like him. He says his process is like a riddle, he starts with the answer and moves backwards, beginning with the final product and then, with all his artistic elements, finds out how to get there. Keep your eye on this guy, his work is true to his story, it’s relatable, exciting, impulsive and, like anyone dealing with a life long symptom, has a gained control that takes us that much deeper.
ISM: You could be anything else for one day, what would it be?
Okay, I’m totally going to expose my geekiness right now. I’d have to be a superhero of some sorts. It’s all about flying, using super-human strength, sporting cool outfits, saving everyone, engaging in silly banter with enemies, having unlimited funds, being insanely brilliant and, well, you get the picture. Oh, and it’d be cool to be able to transcend dimensions like Dr. Manhattan in Watchmen. Or I’d like to be the owner of a deli/bar in Italy.
ISM: Dream destination?
I’m going to have to make this question plural. I have an insane amount of dream destinations! Besides Guam, Savannah, Vegas and possibly Belize this year just for starters… I’d say:
New Orleans, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Australia, Thailand, Ireland, Japan, France, Spain, Jamaica, & Fiji Just to name a few.
ISM: First piece you ever sold?
My first fine art piece that sold was a painting titled “Octogear” at Silver Queen Fine Art in Park City, Utah. It’s this zany piece depicting an octopus with gear tentacles on a Victorian wallpaper background… I was truly stunned when someone purchased it. Just because I liked it, doesn’t necessarily mean someone else would. None the less, I was ecstatic when it was purchased, as you could imagine.
ISM: How long do you work on a piece?
Well, due to my mixed media style of being all over the road, I have many steps in my process. So, from start to finish including working on the frame, drying times and other aspects of the painting, I’d say about a week per piece give or take (that excludes sleeping, hanging-out with friends, watching movies, drinking vodka, eating-out, hunting for frames and learning foreign languages).
ISM: 3 things we have to do when we visit Utah?
I’m assuming you’ll be hanging-out with me so we’ll not include that on the list. Here it is:
1. For outdoors action, either we’ll go snowboarding, sledding or soak in the hot springs during the winter (drunk on hot toddies, of course). For the warmer months we’ll, fly some helicopters around the mountains, play in the lakes and shoot fireworks at each other.
2. Enjoy gobs of great food, shows, galleries and other night life that we are starting to get recognized for.
3. Hop the border into Nevada and go gambling at some fun dive casinos… oh, and hit the strip-clubs too.
ISM: Your biggest inspiration?
Everything. I want to constantly be open to the possibility of a great painting concept developing in my brain at any moment. I’m obsessed really. There will be times that I’m sitting somewhere talking with someone and the light hits their face in an amazing way and I start painting them in my mind… For an example.
ISM: Multi task or one project at a time?
Multi-task! I get bored/annoyed/excited easily so it’s great for me to move around my studio constantly working on different processes. I enjoy the possibility of painting, drawing, shooting photos, playing with frames or doing digital work on any given day based on my mood or inspiration.
ISM: AM or PM?
I’m the farthest thing from a little ray of sunshine in the mornings. So, PM without a doubt. In fact, I completely construct my day based on this for optimal productivity. I attend to all the business stuff in the morning (I’m grumpy anyway, might as well deal with it now) then I leave all the creative awesomeness to the afternoon and evening when I’m awake and on my game. I’m a total night owl.
ISM: Original Star Wars or the New Episodes?
No contest, I’m an OG all the way. I’m not even sure what the hell has been going on with the franchise as of late. I tuned-out the second I experienced Jar-Jar. The first thing I thought was “Is this really happening?!” I thought someone was playing a joke on me. Even the Ewoks at the pinnacle of their cute, saccharin shenanigans could even compare to the ridiculousness of Binks. Maybe it was the lack of acting and emotion, the absurdity of Anakin’s character or the fascicle one-liners throughout to put the nail in the coffin. And don’t even get me started on egregious use of CG throughout the last three films and “retouching” the first three! Okay, enough of that tirade. You get the point. The franchise went down the proverbial toilet. RIP SW.
ISM: Any plans for a LA show?
Hell yes! I’m always down to show in a new city. I’m what you’d call an art-a-holic. I’m consistently working on new pieces even if I don’t have a show coming-up right away. Showing out of state definitely gets me jazzed. I’m constantly inspired and creating new work.
ISM: Word to live by?
Passion.
-Erin Leigh
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