Peter Harmathy

Peter Harmathy


About

“I receive much inspiration from the harmonious order of classical painting styles as well as from popular magazines, newspapers and the Internet. Seen from a broad spectrum, my art seeks to understand how we are evolving as human beings in a consumer-driven world.”

I received my artistic training at Concordia University (B.F.A. 1985) and the Victoria College of Art (2003). In the early 1980’s my line of work wavered between the Sciences (B.Sc. 1983) and the Arts. This set me up for a lifetime confrontation between the two, which is reconciled in some way with compositional geometry inspired by the likes of Canadian artist Alex Colville and Renaissance artists. The latter saw no difference between science and art, thus trying to resolve (in vain) universal truths through their art.

As a postmodern artist, much of my art references the past and compares it with the present in a satirical kind of way. Postmodern art, in principle, deals with skepticism of “big theories” (including modernism) thus involving a healthy critique of all things past and present. Consequently, it borrows ideas and images from mass media to try to make sense of where humankind is heading (utopia or annihilation?). Despite this, postmodernism also employs humour and shock value to drive its message home, likewise employing “multiple-coding” of messages and complex meanings (e.g. the cow as a symbol of beauty, sacredness, innocence, genetic engineering, consumerism, slaughter, bar code referencing the holocaust, etc.). Art-making is a vehicle I use to understand the world I live in.
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Location
Barrie, ON, Canada
Website
http://harmathy.weebly.com/
Work
1985-1992 - Film Production: Crawley Films (Ottawa), Hinton Animation Studios (Ottawa), Independent film "Spirit of the Barrens" aired on CBC TV in 1988), Okalakatiget Society (Labrador), and others.

1992-current -Teaching: High School (Ontario & Northwest Territories), College (Victoria College of Art, Georgian College).
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Education
1979 Ecole Secondaire Charlebois

1982 B.Sc. Geology, University of Ottawa

1985, BFA Film Production, Concordia University
Film Production BFA

1992, B.Ed, University of Toronto

2003, Victoria College of Art, Victoria BC, 3 Year Certificate Read More

Friends

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  • Carmen Dardalla
  • Serhiy Kolyada
  • Katja Van Den Enden
  • Fritzsch Anneliese

Yellow Hands

Mixed Media

Prints from $71

Prints from $49

Prints from $20

Madame X

Painting

Prints from $74

Colville's Cow

Painting

Prints from $59

Prints from $59
Peace Offering
War and Peace
Breast Is Best
Deirdre
Pretty as Wallpaper
Deanne

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Favorite Art

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    "Deconstruction of Beauty"