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Scott Donaldson's recent paintings depict three generations of cultural icons. Inspired by the pop culture that has engaged Donaldson's imagination from his childhood through today, the exhibition Tune In, Turn On and Hook Up is on view at the ArtWorks Gallery (811 Race St., Downtown) through May 23. Here, the artist shares five things that inspire him, in his own words. (Tamera Lenz Muente)
Faces. I love portraiture, and in my own work I often refer to portraits, including those by Renaissance artists and French neoclassical painter Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, but especially Chuck Close's early work. I'm fascinated by the "landscape" of the face — all those nooks and crannies.
Color. The odd and jolting use of color displayed by pop artists Ed Pashke and Andy Warhol and self-taught artist Daniel Watson makes us see a painting as a painting, a handmade artifact.
Things from my youth. The memory of my Colonel McCauley space helmet (from the 1959 television show Men into Space), other TV shows that engrossed me and the soundtrack music that always played in the background.
History. Not just art history but all of history. I'm a great reader and find a lot of inspiration in the way we very flawed humans wiggle through the mud yet still create great things.
Pop culture. I'm not a deep abstract thinker. I'm inspired and comforted by all the stuff that is around us and how it (celebrities, industrial design, graphic arts) binds us together and gives us a point of contact with each other.
ARTICULATIONS highlights things important to local artists