Bret Philpot
Pros and Cons
by Sandra Schulman
January 28, 2010

Dark skylines rage over infernal cities. Hearts are pierced by poison arrows. Stick figures walk across precarious landscapes under blackened suns.

Painter Bret Philpot is clearly not spending lazy days soaking up the sun in Palm Springs.

“Out of the blue I started to get more thought provoking in my work,” he says,“The new paintings are a mixed bag, it’s a gentle spirituality that progresses to aggressive messages. It’s dealing with people, same sex marriage, the state we’re in is scattered. Yes we’re blessed here but with all that’s going on in the world if something affects me I paint it.”

For his new show opening Saturday, February 6th at Arrow Gallery in Joshua Tree, Philpot – whose powerful painting of a gun graced our Weapons issue cover last year – has been digging deeper and painting larger. With works as big as 7’ X 9’ and 6’ x 7’, the bigger canvas seems to have inspired broader ideas.

Another new factor is the writing on the paintings by realtor Reggie McAtee.

“The prose was done separate from the painting, not direct or indirectly related,” says Philpot. “After spending 12 years in the high desert, I needed to get back into a city again so I moved to Palm Springs last year. I think my ultimate destination is Venice Beach, but I like it down here for now.”

“What makes an artist is sometimes complex,” he continues. “One thing is for certain, I thrive to paint. Though sometimes draining, at other times exhilarating, painting is an extreme positive in my life. I was born in Los Angeles, raised in Southern California, and began drawing during childhood. After a 14-year career in Civil Engineering drafting, which included teaching at a community college, I wanted to shake off the uniformity of engineering. My life evolved, and painting became my passion in life.

I love the freedom in painting. Many of my paintings deal with my inner self and complexities. Painting seems to be therapeutic; it takes the edge off. I am also influenced by the lives and experiences of others; the wars of the world, urban blight, addictions, poverty. Though my work on occasion seems dark, my expression is speaking of the pain and hurt we sometimes encounter in our life. I hope my paintings will stir emotions that we cannot always openly express.

The materials I use are varied, though I most often rely on acrylic. I also work with spray paint, oil sticks, ink, gesso, dried plants and found objects. I like to use texture in my work. I also refer to my experience in drafting when drawing or applying structure and balance to a painting. My work often rides the fence between the abstract and the figurative. It doesn’t translate easily to a common form.”

PROSE
Featuring New Paintings by Bret Philpot And Writings by Reggie McAtee
Saturday February 6th, 2010, 6:30 PM
The Arrow Gallery
61597 Twentynine Palms HWY Joshua Tree, CA
760.366.3700
bretphilpot.com