Art Hound

Tyson Anthony Roberts is a talented Seattle-based artist who studied both studio art and biology. His abstract urban and rural landscapes have a modernist feel from the reduced color palette and flat, pixelated brushstrokes. A distinguishing feature of Roberts’ work are the paint drips, which result from his use of watered-down acrylics. Roberts’ print The Gardens is available via 20×200, and his paintings are available starting at $125 through the artist.  Art Hound’s interview with the artist is below.

You studied studio art and biology. Are these discrete interests or do they overlap?

They do overlap.  I appreciate nature, landscapes, ecosystems, and the changing elements of the living organisms around us.  Through painting I am able to record these things and somehow preserve what they once looked like.  Biology and art are both ‘living’ as over time there is degradation / growth, new discoveries / known facts, inspiration / stagnancy.

How long have you been painting semi-abstract pieces? What’s been the progression of your work?

It has been 4 years since I began painting in this way.  I started off experimenting by painting large areas of layered color aiming to create a dense impression.  From there I gradually isolated colors, thinned them out, and became more ‘geometric’ to add to the depth of field.  The progression also included experimenting with crayons, paper cut-outs, photography and not wearing my glasses so that my visual perception was altered to stripped down blurry areas of color (thank you bad eye-sight).

Tell me about the dripped paint in your work.

The dripped paint in my work represents the tears of all generations past and the hardships we have all encountered (the paint is actually mixed with real tears!) (just kidding).

You consider yourself a landscape painter but some of your recent work, such as the San Juan Series, focuses on urban environments. Has your focus shifted over time or do you think of these paintings as landscapes too?

I think of all of my work as landscapes.  I do like the juxtaposition of urban environment with natural/outdoor environments…the linear appearance of precise structures with the curved, soft elements of trees, hills and water.