Focus on Peteris (Peter) Ciemitis

Age of Anxiety by Peter Ciemitis

‘What I find intriguing is trying to find ways to visually explore human psychology and emotional landscapes’

Peteris (Peter) Ciemitis, urban designer, town planner, public artist, place maker, and visual artist communicates part of his creative prism and ethos in portrait painting.

It’s a different kind of thinking, yet rhythmically compatible to his other professional ‘canvases’; urban planning for community and workplace. Sculpting space on a large scale; being spatially aware.

Portraiture evolves from thoughts about negative space. Tension and anxiety built around the figure, and the chiaroscuro, the expression of light and dark.

Oehlers by Peter Ciemitis

‘One of the hardest things to do is to meaningfully paint a beautiful person. Better when they have passed that part of life and are not worried about being flattered’.

Optimum is when the client or sitter allows you to have freedom. Thus, the appeal of awards and competitions where there is no obligation to flatter, to be derivative, to be confined, or reverential.

Tim Ross of the comedic duo Merrick and Rosso and now ‘modernister’, is an advocate and commentator on architecture and design.

Peter relates to Tim’s penchant for explaining space and architecture in a normal, human way, not ‘conceptualizing’.

Peter’s portrait of Tim allowed a kind of play between painter and subject, Tim taking on the role of the ‘uber serious one’, (for the moment), the architectural commentator.

The portrait was titled ‘I’m Just A Brutalist Guy’, a nod to John Lennon’s iconic song ‘(I’m just) A Jealous Guy’.

Patrick Holloworth summited Mount Everest in 2010, a deeply physical and emotional challenge. Peter approached that portrait with a view to communicating troubling darkness. Ice and altitude. Overwhelming thoughts, Id, uncertainty.

His George Seddon portrait was selected for the renowned Archibald Prize for Portrait at the Art Gallery of NSW. Peter’s other works include musicians, Dave Hole and Jamie Oehlers.

Life is now an intersection of family, work, and painting. Emotional swirls and observations.

Urban design might span kilometres and shape community dynamism.

His portraits distill individual intimacy, candour, humanity.

#paulasilbertartsconsultancy
#theartprimer
#peteris_ciemitis_art
#ciemitispublicart
#jillianciemitis
#waportraitartists
#westernaustralianartist
#australianartist
#portraitart
#portrature
#australianartist
#architecture
#townplanning
#urbandesign
#publicart
#figurativepainting
#watercolour
#portraitsketch
#artmeansbusiness
#artistprofile
#artwork   
#fineart          
#DiscoverArtists  
#ArtBusiness
#ArtistCommunity
#DiscoverArtists