Anthony Lister
Modern Masters
September 6- October 12, 2019
Mirus Gallery Denver is pleased to present the solo exhibition of Anthony Lister. Exhibition opens Friday, September 6th, 7-10 PM and runs through October 12th, 2018. VIP and Press is open Friday, September 6th, 6-7PM. Exhibition is free and open to the public.
About the Exhibition: "Modern Masters"“What moves men of genius, or rather what inspires their work, is not new ideas, but their obsession with the idea that what has already been said is still not enough.”
Eugene Delacroix
When confronted with a moment of rebirth and a moment of reflection, Anthony Lister seeks to firmly hold his position in the art-world by showing his style alone can transform iconic artworks we have seen for decades into conversations of then and now. “Modern Masters” Lister’s upcoming solo exhibition at Mirus Gallery Denver, seeks to become a contemporary homage to the old masters like Picasso, Matisse and Warhol. The paintings attempt to amplify the artist’s unique stylized voice with a flair only Lister could produce. Below he has a few words about his most recent works.
Artist Statement:
I make artworks about interesting things I like to talk about. I also make artworks about serious social
issues I feel need to be talked about. Need for discussion. Art history is fascinating. It is important for me
to openly pay my respects to just a few of the masters of whom I admire and have drawn reference to in
my own work for years. There were moments while painting for this show where I felt real joy and clarity, in
many ways I felt closer to the divine light that has guided painters for millenniums. This exhibition is loaded
with literal conversations between myself and the master painter of who’s artwork I am referencing. In the
making of these paintings I found it it necessary to recreate the original in every way possible -Including:
size dimensions, colour pallets, titles and of course subject matter. Only once the work resembled the
actual original did I feel comfortable to respectfully respond that my contribution is in someway an
accurate representation of a truly impossible collaboration given that every other artist in the show besides
myself are dead. Question: how does one improve on perfection? I chose these works from these painters
that I admire because I love these works. I don’t think for a second that by me adding anything onto them
in anyway could improve these masterpieces from their true forms; to think this would be both arrogantly
foolish and ridiculously vain. Having said that and to be completely honest, as a painter I found myself
struggling with this regularly. There was only one way that I could make these works; I needed to imagine
as if I was actually collaborating with these painters. I had to imagine that they each gave me permission
to finish the artworks each had “started“ many years ago.
Artist Bio:
With literally hundreds of successful exhibitions to date, Anthony Lister is a serious and professional artist.
His work focuses on social issues like: freedom, morality and power in a rich and unique tapestry of
ambiguity.
His exhibitions have been presented in Museums such as; The Nation Gallery of Australia, Institute of
Modern Art, Berlin’s Urban Nation Museum and a number of Academic Institutions worldwide. His
artworks have been featured and seen in several Hollywood films. He himself was the subject of a feature
length film on his life directed by acclaimed documentarian Eddie Martin titled: ‘Have You Seen The
Listers?’ which is seen Internationally on Netflix. Lister has also collaborated with many painters, writers,
poets and musicians including Singer Songwriter Nick Cave.
Anthony Lister is a graduate of the Queensland College of Art and student of New Zealand born, New
York based painter Max Gimblett. He pioneered the Street Art movement in Australia before moving to
New York early in his career. Whilst participating in the ‘Spring Street Exhibition’ the Wooster Street
Collective curators Marc and Sara Schiller which saw his work published on the cover of the New York
Times Art section. Not long after, Lister began to work with several businesses and magazines which
elevated his profile as a painter to watch.
Anthony Lister has given numerous talks at Universities and seminars, speaking on the fundamentals
regarding social concerns and the theoretical definitions behind his ‘Contemporary Mythology’ artworks.
His ongoing relationship with curator Roger Gastman, who is highly regarded within contemporary Art,
whom recently curated: ‘Beyond The Streets’, and co-curated: ‘Art in the Streets’(LACMA) with Jeffrey
Deitch and Aaron Rose. In collaboration Roger and Anthony have held several successful exhibitions as
well as created the 356 page Ginko Press publication ; LISTER Adventure painter. Anthony continues to
keep busy, painting in his studios around the world and is currently working towards his sixth major survey
publication about his work.
Click here to see available works
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Anthony Lister: UNTITLED 1982 / Homage to Jean-Michel Basquiat
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APPLE MAC BOOK PRO 2006: Homage to Steve Jobs,
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GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING 1665 / Homage to Jan Vermeer
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VITRUVIAN MAN 1490: Homage to Leonardo da Vinci
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UNTITLED 1996: Homage to Julian Schnabel’s Homage to Basquiat’s
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BRILLO BOX (SOAP PADS) 1964: Homage to Andy Warhol
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WEEPING WOMAN 1937: Homage to Pablo Picasso
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FOUNTAIN 1917: Homage to Marcel Duchamp
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THE YOUNG LADIES OF AVIGNON 1907: Homage to Pablo Picasso
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RRP for BICYCLE WHEEL 1913 / Homage to Marcel Duchamp
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DIEGO AND I 1949: Homage to Frida Khalo
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EMBRACE 1905, Homage to Egon Shiele
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BANANAS 1984: Homage to Andy Warhol and Jean Michel Basquia
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HOPELESS 1963: Homage to Roy Lichtenstein, 2
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AMAZING FANTASY 15 1962 : Homage to Jack Kirby
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UNTITLED FROM MARILYN MONROE 1967: Homage to Andy Warhol (Orange)
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UNTITLED FROM MARILYN MONROE 1967: Homage to Andy Warhol (Teal)
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UNTITLED FROM MARILYN MONROE 1967: Homage to Andy Warhol (Blue)
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UNTITLED FROM MARILYN MONROE 1967: Homage to Andy Warhol (Pink)
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THE BATHER 1909: Homage to Edgar Degas
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SELF PORTRAIT 1907: Homage to Pablo Picasso
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THE PERSISTENCE OF MEMORY 1931: Homage to Salvador Dali
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THE HARLEQUIN 1915: Homage to Pablo Picasso
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THE DESERT: HARMONY IN RED 1908: Homage to Henri Matisse
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STILL LIFE WITH ‘LA DANSE’: Homage to Henri Matisse
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SELF PORTRAIT 1660: Homage to Harmens van Rijn Rembrandt
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THE STAR 1878: Homage to Edgar Degas
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MONA LISA 1503: Homage to Leonardo Da Vinci
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THE ENGLISHMAN AT THE MOULIN ROUGE 1892: Homage to Henri de Tolouse-lautrec
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