Q & A Interview With Artist Tony Vita Currently Showing "Strange Terrain" Exhibition At Roosevelt Island RIVAA Octagon Gallery - Describes AI Working Process Following Down The Rabbit Hole To Making Digital Paintings Of Strange Terrain
Digital Painting by Tony Vita
Encounter the beautifully surreal, unique and slightly unsettling digital paintings that comprise the world of Tony Vita’s latest exhibition, Strange Terrain.
You can immerse yourself in the absorbing world of Strange Terrain anytime from July 1- September 27, 2024 at the Octagon. You will be glad that you made the trip.
Here are some scenes from the July 12 opening reception of Tony Vita's Strange Terrain exhibition at RIVAA's Octagon Gallery.
Roosevelt Island resident and Gallery RIVAA member artist Laura Hussey interviewed Mr Vita recently about his Strange Terrain exhibition in this question and answer format.
Q - Tony. You currently have an exhibition at the Octagon called Strange Terrain. Why did you select that as a title?
A - Most of pieces in the show suggest places that are familiar and based in reality at first glance but are in fact strange and dreamlike.
Q - Did you come up with the title first or did you create the work and then make up a title?
A - Titles are the last thing I think about. If I had my way, everything I've ever done would be titled “Untitled 1- Untitled 2 and so on. I'm not thinking in terms of words.
Q - Where did you get the ideas for the works in this exhibition?
A - I almost never plan my pieces. I start with a notion or an image I carry in my head and sit at the computer or sketchbook and play. Sometimes in the working process, something that I hadn't thought of takes shape and I follow down the rabbit hole. You have to trust your instincts.
Q - The works on the lower level and the ones on the upper level appear as two distinct visual entities. What connects them so that both are considered “strange terrain”?
A - I like to think of those pieces as representing some of the inhabitants of the strange terrain. The fact that they were in a separate space allowed me to show pieces that were lighter in spirit. I thought that kids would enjoy the strange menagerie.
Q - All the artwork is digital. What program(s) did you use to create the pieces in the exhibition?
A - Adobe Photoshop is at the top of the list. It's essential to any artist working in the digital medium. I've only recently started using AI in process. I use Adobe Firefly for that but I'm investigating other software such as Luma which is an AI animation program.
Q - Why did you select those programs?
A - Trial and error. Is the software compatible with my goal? Does it have creative flexibility? Can I afford it? How long did it take to create each piece?
I work very fast. A piece can take one or two hours, but refining it can take weeks .
Take a walk down to the RIVAA Octagon Gallery at 888 Main Street to check out Tony Vita's Strange Terrain exhibition through September 27, 2024.
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