Independence, Magnanimity, Trust
oil on canvas

Howard Fonda lives and works in Chicago.

In the era of "Post-," when it is difficult to address ideas of Truth and intentionality, I embrace tradition and practice. Working from a Modernist model, I assert material presence while infusing it with meaning. Additionally, I dispense with the Postmodern notions of ironic loathing and bourgeois cynicism, rooting my practice in a world of philosophy and Romanticism.

I have recently been engaged with a body of work derived from my interest in American Transcendentalism and an ontological understanding of self as demonstrated by Thoreau. These Platonic ideals are manifest in simple landscapes that hover between representation and abstraction.

With a desire for painting that is active and demanding of the viewer, my practice is guided by philosophy and social theory as much as art history and art theory.  While much of our culture is directed by a fast-paced, multi-faceted, capitalist media, painting remains a political and philosophical sanctuary where one can slow down.

Howard is represented by Mixed Greens Gallery in NY