Underneath and Below Painting

Born in Philadelphia, Alfred Ortega studied painting and sculpture at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Ortega's work is currently represented by the Atlantic Gallery, Nantucket and the Knapp Gallery, Philadelphia. Ortega has exhibited at the Woodmere Museum and Twenty-two Gallery in Philadelphia. The artists work is represented in the permanent collection of the Pennsylvania State Museum and in private collections. Noted for his bold use of color, Ortegas paintings and oil prints emanate primal energy. His prominent, large canvases reveal a dynamic world populated with vibrant forms and figures barely contained within their frames. A master monoprint maker, Ortegas vivid oil prints of figures, landscapes, and portraits are animated by an unabashed freedom of form and color and a daring love of life. Statement of Process The foundation for my work in painting and sculpture is a feeling of awe and inspiration when I look out upon nature and all of creation. The practice provides both fulfillment in work, finding freedom in the doing and a pathway of discovery for the self. Alfred Ortega