Pete Kohut: Depth of Field

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Pete Kohut, "Depth of Field," 2019

PETE KOHUT Depth of Field

Opening Reception Friday March 1st, 7-9pm

The paintings in Kohut's exhibition explore the structure of looking. Using the mark as a building block, the work seeks to challenge the viewer’s relationship with the image. It questions what it means to look at images in today’s chaotic, consumer-driven visual environment. One strategy employed is to reduce the elements of the paintings to cut through the noise of everyday imagery. Marks are used as building blocks: repeating them to create a weave, net, or field of positive and negative information. This repetitive process creates an image that denies hierarchy (narrative) or inspiration (the grand gesture). It emphasizes labour (process) and touch (the artist’s hand). 

Pete Kohut is initially a self-taught artist but will be receiving his BFA with a Visual Arts Major from the University of Victoria in the Spring of 2019. He is an experienced graphic designer of 15 years, but his passion for fine art prompted him to change his career focus. He has painted for over 20 years; concentrating on representing the human form. Recently, his explorations into the theory and history of perception have prompted him to let go of conventional representation and experiment with a pared-down, processed-based form of image making. Kohut currently lives and works in Victoria, BC.