Tony Blomme | Contemporary Artist: Artworks & Biography

Tony was born and raised in Eeklo a small town northwest of Belgium. He studied drawing and painting in the early 1970s. During his training, his style was influenced by Dutch realism (Carel Willink, Pycke Koch), and the surrealism of Rene Magritte, Paul Delvaux (Belgian painters, twentieth century), Max Ernest (German artist, twentieth century) and Yves Tanguy (Franco-American painter, twentieth century). During his first visit to New York in 1980, the artist discovered Photorealism (American hyperrealist movement). He was struck by the works of Ralph Goings, Richard Estes, John Salt ... The discovery of this painting style was a revelation for him, where Tony found a reflection of his own artistic research. This first ""aesthetic shock"" had an effect on his approach to painting and choice of subject matter (American diners, gleaming cars, reflective surfaces...)\n A talented artist, he abandoned black and whites for watercolour. He painted views of New York and had his first exhibition in this U.S city in 2001, shortly before the tragic events of September 11. Tony's career took off in 2002 with the Paule De Boeck Gallery in Ghent. The artist participates in contemporary art fairs and exhibits in several Belgian cities and the Netherlands. He currently lives and works in Aalter, in his native region.\n Tony is a worthy representative of realism in painting. He enjoys watercolour for its lightness and the precision of drawing. He uses oil for its depth and intensity of colour. A virtuoso of drawing, the painter performs detailed city views with great technical mastery. He chooses a tight framing on the subject (a detail of a facade, a café sign), much like a photograph. But beyond realism, the artist wishes to share a personal emotion. Tony finds inspiration in his travels around the world, looking for unusual places. He captures the atmosphere of the streets, the rich a r c h i t e c t u r e , t h e l i g h t r e f l e c t e d f r o m t h e c i t y . . . F r o m P a r i s t o N e w Y o r k , v i a R o m e , C h i c a g o a n d B a r c e l o n a , h i s c i t y s c a p e s s e e m t o b e i n t i m e l e s s m o v e m e n t .