In a new series of diminutive ceramic tiles, California artist Wesley Anderegg flattens his tragicomic figures with a playful nod to Pop Art paintings and comic book panels. The painted compositions evoke Anderegg’s experience growing up in the sun-drenched and lawless Sonoran Desert of Arizona. Wesley Anderegg:ARIZONA debuts at form & concept on Friday, March 30 from 5 to 7 pm.
Wesley Anderegg has never directly revisited his wild childhood in Arizona through his figurative ceramics—until now. “As you get older, you kind of get reminiscing,” says the California-based artist. “It’s like, oh man, I’m on the downslope these days. Time to look back.” Though the series represents a new direction for the artist, form & concept director Frank Rose sees a clear link between old and new. “Every piece that Wes makes represents a little part of him and his story,” Rose says. “Arizona is a more direct expression of that—even the desert creatures in the paintings have these bold personalities that evoke personal allegories.”