Article by Ann Japenga 2011

Former Los Angeles Times reporter Ann Japenga has posted an appreciative article about Tony's early work entitled Tony Foster: Icebergs and Ocotillo which hopefully you will enjoy.

Lecture Series at the invitation of Stanford University

In September 2010 Tony has been invited by Stanford University, California, to give a series of lectures to celebrate the dedication of a collection of his works being installed in Stanford's new Y2E2 faculty lounge. This extraordinary sustainable building gathers under one roof ecologists and economists, biologists and legal scholars, earth scientists, engineers and policy analysts in order to create a breeding ground for new collaborations. It could not be a more appropriate setting for a group of Tony's artworks.

Stanford Lecture

Stanford Full Details
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Tony Foster New Project

Sacred Places - Watercolour Diaries from the American South West

All societies need to express their reverence for extraordinary places.

American South West Ancient Pot Shards (in progress)

Tribal societies express it through their religious practices and ceremonies. Our own, more secular society, expresses it by designating National and State Parks, National Forests and Monuments, thus rendering them sacrosanct. It could be argued that the Environmental Movement is the secular means by which we express our need to honour the Earth.

The American South West encompasses many places of extraordinary resonance and beauty. Many of these have been declared sacred by Native American Tribes, Christian or other Religious Communities. Others are protected by Federal and State Government law.

Cathedral Rock Fifth Attempt (work in progress)

This exhibition will be my personal response to these lands. Through a series of journeys - sometimes on foot or raft, sometimes in a vehicle - I will explore what makes these places special. Oftentimes my focus will coincide with accepted definitions of sacred places but as an artist this will necessarily be a personal odyssey. My search for inspiration will always take priority over any rigid definition. At times I may find sacred places of my own.

Chaco Canyon 2010 (work in progress)

I have already spent eight weeks in the SouthWest working on this project and anticipate returning for similar periods in the Autumn of 2010 and Spring of 2011. I will be working in Native American Reservations, Private and Public land holdings, and National and State Parks.

Monument Valley 2010 (work in progress)

I am aware of the carbon footprint involved in these journeys. In order to mitigate the effect of my airmiles I will donate the equivalent of the full cost of each flight (this is a considerably greater contribution than that proposed under the many "carbon offsetting" schemes) to Rainforest Concern - a UK charity involved in protecting and purchasing threatened areas of rainforest.

In order to help explain the history and meaning of the places where I will be working, a Curator will be appointed who will draw on Museum and Private Collections to loan works of art and craft which relate to the places I have chosen to work. We hope to exhibit pieces from prehistory to the present day. In this way I shall explore our common relationship to the earth, and the way we express reverence for particular places.

The Exhibition will show at the Gerald Peters Gallery, Santa Fe, in June/July 2012. It is hoped it will then tour to Museums and other Commercial Galleries.

Tony Foster
Cornwall
July 2010

Exhibition: Searching for a Bigger Subject - Watercolour Diaries from Everest and the Grand Canyon

This major exhibition has now shown in Truro, London, Santa Fe, Dallas, New York and the Phoenix Art Museum. It has attracted a lot of interest and press coverage and been generally very well received. Most of the paintings are now sold (though there are still a few nice ones left).

Tony’s Book: Painting at the Edge of the World - the Watercolours of Tony Foster

My book (see links above) has attracted considerable publicity, having been widely featured in magazines and newspapers world-wide.

Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal: “A comprehensive representation of his extraordinary oeuvre ... rich with entries from the artist’s travel diaries which are almost as vivid as Mr Foster’s spoken accounts of his adventures”.

Prof. John Haldane - The Art Book: “A very substantial and beautifully produced book... his is a trail well worth following”.

Alex Wade, The Times, London: “His willingness to endure discomfort in the creation of bold and dramatic watercolours has made him a highly collectable artist”.

Larry Cox, King Features Syndicate: “Foster’s new book is much like the sites he visited - breathtaking”.

Amazon: Four 5Star reviews on www.amazon.com and three 5Star reviews at www.amazon.co.uk.

Copies in all categories (Standard $75, Limited $280, Collectors $2500) are still available.

Contacts

If you are interested in following up any of these news items here are the contact details:

Best wishes - Tony Foster
Tywardreath
January 2010

Representation

Tony Foster is represented by Gerald Peters Gallery, Santa Fe, Dallas and New York.

Contact:
Abigail von Schlegell
Gerald Peters Gallery
1011 Paseo de Peralta
Santa Fe NM 87501
USA
email: avonschlegell@gpgallery.com Tel: 505 954-5700
Fax: 505 954 5754
www.gpgallery.com