Peter Anton

Peter Anton

Born	1963 New Haven, Connecticut
Nationality	United States
Known for	Sculpture

Peter Anton in his studio with completed sculptures

Peter Anton (born 1963 in New Haven, Connecticut) is an American artist and sculptor. His primary subject matter is food with an emphasis on chocolates and other sweets. Often referred to as "Candy Warhol," Anton creates giant realistic sculptures and is best known for his "bigger than life" boxed chocolates.

Studio

At times Anton's studio can resemble a sweet shop since it is filled with dozens of real treats which he uses as models. His beginning process is to eat, smell, feel, study and dissect a new food over and over again in order to hyper-familiarize himself with the new subject. He then begins the long and tedious process of sculpting, carving, sanding, painting, and construction of his mixed media works.

Exhibitions

Anton had his first solo show in 1993 at the Henri Gallery in Washington, DC. His first one-person exhibition in New York City was in 1995 at the Bruce R. Lewin Gallery in Soho. The show featured over seventy giant fruits and vegetables. It gained him much attention and it sold out. He went on to have four more solo shows at the gallery. Anton also had solo exhibitions at the Museum Jan van der Togt in Amstelveen, The Netherlands, UNIX Gallery in New York, Guy Pieters Gallery in Knokke, Belgium, Gallery Valentine in East Hampton, New York, Galerie Ralph Schriever in Cologne, Germany, UrbanArt in Seoul, Korea, the Allan Stone Gallery in New York City, Galerie Terminus in Munich, the Hammer Galleries on 57th Street in New York City, Galerie Adler Bertin-Toublanc in Miami, the Davis-Klemm Gallery in Wiesbaden, Germany, Rarity Gallery in Mykonos, Greece, Gallery Delaive in Amsterdam, and Scott Richards Contemporary Art in San Francisco. Peter Anton's work has been featured in group exhibitions in the United States and abroad, including the Schloss Gottorf Museum in Schleswig, Germany; the Museum Ritter in Waldenbuch, Germany; the Strathmore Museum in Bethesda, Maryland; the Schloss Neuenburg Museum in Neuenburg, Germany; the Museum Villa Rot in Burgrieden, Germany; the Wilhelm Hack Museum in Ludwigshafen, Germany; the Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe in Germany; the Austin Museum of Art in Texas; the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, New York; the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, Connecticut; the Castellani Art Museum in Niagara, New York; the Keszler Gallery in New York City; the Allan Stone Gallery in New York City; the Elaine Baker Gallery in Boca Raton, Florida; and the Copia museum in Napa, California.

Special Project

Peter Anton's Sugar & Gomorrah ride-installation during Art Basel Miami in December 2012

On exhibit during Art Basel Miami in December 2012, Peter Anton's Sugar & Gomorrah was the world's first art installation where the viewer rode through an exhibition aboard an amusement ride. Sugar & Gomorrah was an actual roller coaster reworked into an art experience showcasing the juxtaposition between a sense of doom and the magical world of giant sweets. The attendees darted through a snaking tunnel up and down hills rapidly twisting and turning all while viewing a modern interpretation of the destruction of a Sodom and Gomorrah-like world created entirely by Anton. On the full-sized ride there was a backdrop of fire, dusty skeletons, tumbling pillars, nearly nude live models and a virtual candyland of gigantic treats—all while Lesley Gore's "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows" played loudly. The ride was a visually stimulating experience, challenging the viewer to fall into temptations of food and the flesh. Attendees waited in long lines to experience the popular exhibition which ran continuously for six days.

Collections

Peter Anton's work is featured in private and corporate collections including Steven A. Cohen, the CEO of Sony, Sir Howard Stringer, Boston Red Sox owner Tom Werner, New York Yankees owner Barry Klarberg, Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, the Jordanian Royal Family, architect Sir Norman Foster, Oppenheim Bank, Breitling Watches, Raymond James Financial, and candy maker giant Perfetti Van Melle. His work is also in the permanent collection of museums including the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City, Missouri; the Copelouzos Art Museum in Athens, Greece; the Lisser Art Museum in Lisse, the Netherlands; the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock; the Tennessee State Museum in Nashville; the Portland Art Museum in Oregon and the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, Connecticut.

References

Herwig Guratzsch. "Lieblingsbilder aus der Sammlung Grosshaus". Cologne, Germany: Walther Konig, 2013. ISBN 978-3-86335-345-2.
Walther Konig. "Luscious Assortment: Kostliche Mischung aus der Sammlung Grosshaus". Schleswig, Germany: Schloss Gottorf, 2013. ISBN 3863352718, ISBN 978-3863352714.
Dr. Barbara Willert. "Kunst mit Schokolade/Art with Chocolate". Heidelberg, Germany: Verlag Das Wunderhorn, 2012. ISBN 978-3-88423-408-2.
Bartholomew F. Bland. I Want Candy: The Sweet Stuff in American Art. New York: Hudson River Museum, 2007. ISBN 978-0-943651-34-7.
Sarah Tanguy. Sweet Tooth. New York: Distributed Art Publishers, 2002. ISBN 0-9712643-1-7.
Dr. Stefanie Dathe. In Aller Munde. Burgrieden, Germany: Museum Villa Rot, 2010. ISBN 978-3-933614-58-2.
Reinhard Spieler. "I Love Aldi". Ludwigshafen, Germany: Wilhelm Hack Museum, 2011. ISBN 978-3-86335-095-6.

External links

Authority control	WorldCat Identities VIAF: 106558333 ISNI: 0000 0000 7476 1217 IATH: w69k5s0w

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