Fort Smith, AR – (August 12, 2015) – This exhibit highlights landscapes, portraits and still life paintings by American artist Patrick Angus (1953-1992) whose work is currently beginning to receive critical and international acclaim. An artist from early childhood, Angus produced hundreds of works throughout the course of his short-lived career. Living on the fringes of mainstream society, Angus was deemed by playwright Robert Patrick as “The Toulouse-Lautrec of Times Square,” due to the fact he illustrated the gritty and less glamorous aspects of New York City. This body of more than 50 works focuses on another dimension of this exceptional artist, and explores Angus’ evolution from a novice to a seasoned artist.
As a young artist, Angus received local and regional accolades, and eventually earned a full scholarship to the Santa Barbara Art Institute. From an early age Angus was well versed in capturing the beauty of still lifes, landscapes and intimate portraits of friends and family. This exhibit will showcase the artists’ gradual command of color, composition and perspective, and will acquaint the viewer with his extraordinary aesthetic.
This is the first museum exhibit of Angus’ work and will showcase over 50 never-before-seen pieces from a private collection. The last exhibit during his lifetime was in 1992, at the University of Santa Barbara where Angus met acclaimed artist David Hockney, who purchased six works for his personal collection. According to Angus’ mother, the artist wanted more than anything to be known as an important mainstream artist, and appreciated for his artistic gift that he relentlessly nurtured throughout his entire life. 