Anthony Viti: Exploring Grief Through Monochrome Crosses

Anthony Viti (born Rochester, United States of America, 1961) is an American artist currently residing in Brooklyn, New York, where he pursues a dual vocation as visual artist and art educator. He teaches at School of Visual Arts and Parsons, shaping the next generation of creatives while simultaneously engaging in his own prolific artistic practice. Viti’s oeuvre centers on narratives concerning body and HIV/AIDS—a subject that profoundly informs his exploration of sexual subcultures—and he employs a diverse range of media including painting, sculpture, video, and installation. His approach is characterized by both confrontation and spirited optimism; he doesn't shy away from challenging conventions or provoking contemplation about societal anxieties. Viti’s artistic journey began with an interest in confronting difficult subjects head-on. Influenced by artists like Marlene Dumas and Sigmar Polke—whose work similarly interrogates representation and explores psychological complexities—he adopted a distinctive visual language rooted in Romanticism, prioritizing textural brushwork and emotive color palettes alongside stark monochrome explorations. This stylistic preference is particularly evident in his series of paintings titled “Elegy,” which directly references Marlene Dumas’s iconic artwork "Iron Cross," transforming the symbol of Christian faith into an emblem of sorrow and remembrance. The deliberate use of textured paint—often applied with palette knives—creates palpable surfaces that convey a sense of vulnerability and immediacy, mirroring the artist's preoccupation with themes of loss and mourning. His exhibitions have spanned across continents, showcasing his distinctive vision at venues such as Art During the Occupation Gallery in Brooklyn, Hudson D. Walker Gallery in Provincetown, MA; deven golden fine art in New York, NY; tibor de nagy gallery in New York, NY; leslie-lohman museum of gay and lesbian art; Cobra Museum in Amsterdam; SCA Contemporary Art in Albuquerque; sue scott gallery in New York, NY; kinkead contemporary in Culver City, CA; david krut projects in New York, NY; Ethan Cohen Fine Arts in New York, NY. Notably, his work has garnered recognition from prestigious foundations like the Pollock-Krasner Foundation and Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts, cementing his position as a respected figure within the contemporary art landscape. A testament to Viti’s artistic dedication is his inclusion in the collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art—a distinction that underscores the enduring impact of his explorations into human experience and psychological introspection. His sculptures, often incorporating reclaimed materials and reflecting similar textural concerns as his paintings, further solidify his commitment to pushing boundaries within sculptural form. Through these multifaceted mediums, Anthony Viti continues to grapple with weighty themes—loss, identity, vulnerability—transforming them into powerful visual statements that resonate deeply with audiences worldwide.