Location: United States
Growing up in Lebanon, Tony innocently painted model war planes like many young boys - but after his family fled to America he lacked the proper colors and tools to paint his planes in the normal camouflage couture of green and brown. As a result, he resorted to using the hues he had on hand: bright reds and blues, hot pinks, bold oranges and loud yellows. Instead of paintbrushes, he used as an implement the very cardboard casing from his model airplane kits, creating a unique textured aesthetic which he continues to embrace in his work today. Although Seker didn’t realize it at the time, the coating of his war toys in the colors of the rainbow was retrospectively a way to express his feelings both of hope and despair conceived from his war- related experience. Now, Seker employs this same vibrant painting style on everything else, and uses it to share more positive sentiments of anti-war and pro-humanity.
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Photoshoot: https://www.fortleeartgroup.com/tony-s
TONY SEKER
The debut show’s featured or “Flagship” artist is local creative personality Tony Seker, A.K.A. “Claxon Du Soleil,” an abstract painter whose loud and colorful works of art fit perfectly with his self-created French moniker roughly meaning “blast from the sun.”
As a young boy growing up in the Middle East during volatile times, I loved the familiar sounds emanating from the backgammon tables. The roll of the dice, the wooden game pieces being smashed onto the tables, and the animated sounds of gamesmanship were all part of the omnipresent and unyielding joie de vivre. The acoustics coupled with the fragrant aromas from incomparable food, the fertile gardens and smoky hookahs made me feel like the world was alright - at least for that day. I imagine that all of these elements centered around the backgammon tables in the Middle East have existed throughout the history of civilization.
The oldest backgammon set in the world was unearthed beneath the rubbles of the legendary Shahr-e Sukhteh (or "Burnt City”) in southeastern Iran. One of the oldest known cities in the world, it is now a 5,200-year-old UNESCO World Heritage site. It burned down three times before it was abandoned for unknown reasons in 1800 B.C. The term “mars” (in Farsi) refers to a dominant backgammon victory (double value). My title "Mars in the Burnt City" is a double entendre, fusing together the city’s history of fires with backgammon and the red planet which Chinese astronomers call the “fire star.” In my painting you can see three game pieces - the rest is history.
Acrylic on wood panel
36" x 48" x 2"
$4,000
Growing up painting plastic war planes, The Red Baron and his plane made a bold statement. This abstract captures the imagery of the frenetic aerial dogfight.
48" x 36"
Acrylic/canvas (framed in black floater frame)
$4,000
Abstract painting honoring the legendary Marilyn Monroe.
Acrylic on wrapped canvas
36" x 36"
$4,000
“Mars In The Burnt City”
“The Red Baron ”
“Marilyn”
