Percy
Fortini-Wright comes from a long line of artists in his family, ranging from
oil painters, watercolorists, and calligraphy artists. Around age 4, Percy
could be found virtually anywhere with a pen in his hand, constantly drawing
and developing his ideas despite his young age. Percy's early subject matter
consisted of many different artistic explorations, which included landscapes
containing animals, cartoons, and inventing creative new variations of the
English Alphabet. As Percy continued to refine his style of painting throughout
his school years leading up to college and Graduate school, it became clear to
him that pursuing a career as an artist was inevitable.
Some of the things that fuel Percy's creativity include music, science, nature,
and the nuances of everyday life defining human culture. Using the techniques
he has perfected throughout the years, Percy now specializes in nature scenes,
street art, murals, portraits, lettering and landscapes and traditional
figurative oil paintings. Percy is also heavily inspired by the graffiti
movement throughout the world, both past and present, and is reflected in his
artwork.
Statement
Recently my
paintings convey the juxtaposition of tropes within representational painting
and contemporary graffiti vernacular. A collage method best identifies my
current work, a metaphor of my mixed background, hip-hop culture, and the
biodiversity of species (man included), documenting my visual environment.My
wide range of techniques within the graffiti/hip-hop culture and
representational painting create a hybrid of styles. Through the range of
styles an subjects, public and private, gallery and street art, from small to
large scale pieces, I have the ability to target a wider audience creating a
universal circular discourse while still personally being engaged.
My cultural and hereditary influences define my artistic
thought process and subject matter. I construct work from memory, direct
observation, and sampling existing imagery not limiting how my images
operate. Being a multiracial artist in America
I grew up around people from all different ethnic backgrounds and cultures.
My mixed subject matter and upbringing, dwelling in rural and urban
environments has proven to be an asset through connecting me with people from
many different lifestyles and artistic backgrounds.
My commitment to multiple painting styles has led me to
create a diverse range of artistic arenas, in which these styles combat or
peacefully coexist. Orchestrating the relationships between public and private,
and those between representational painting and street art vernacular is my
challenge and goal.
