DONALD SULTAN
b. 1951, United StatesBorn in 1951, Donald Sulton is an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker. He attended the University of North Carolina in 1973 where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts, and then the School of the Art Institute in Chicago to gain a Masters of Fine Arts. In 2000 he received the first of three honourary doctorates from the Corcoran School of Art in Washington, and then the New York Academy and later the University of North Carolina. In 2010 he was awarded the North Carolina Award, the highest award a state can bestow upon a civilian.
He categorises his practice into 'Artificial Paintings', 'Industrial Paintings', and 'Natural Paintings'. He utilises industrial materials such as tar, enamel, spackle, and vinyl tiles to create rich and vivid blocks of colour that resemble aspects of nature or and everyday life. He often cuts images out of linoleum tiles and fills the incisions with tar or plaster to create his decorative silhouettes. Sultan describes his work as “heavy structure, holding fragile meaning” with the ability to “turn you off and turn you on at the same time.”
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