Tristan Gittens
London, United Kingdom
Tristan Gittens is a painter working between California and London. He has an MA in Painting from Royal College of Art, a BA in Psychology from UC Berkeley and an MS in Epidemiology from Stanford University. He employs a mix of these disciplines in his daily practice.
With a background in science and a playful flirtation with physics, Tristan’s work solves for X. The symbol represents uncertainty and alienation and builds a bridge between the known and the unknown. By dispelling the myth of a dichotomous existence a spectrum is opened that is mapped in his work.
Tristan works quickly to capture the energy of the moment and the excitement of transformation. Utilizing a free and frenetic style that oscillates between abstract and figurative, he is able to access a hidden dimension where he becomes a conduit to ideas, symbols, and emotions.
In his practice he focuses his entire being on a grand feeling, something as big as the universe, eternity, humanity, and mortality; a meditation on existence. Tristan applies paint to the canvas and begins dredging, mining, and digging at the surface until forms appear. This process allows the work to surprise and guide instead of being guided. He is able to tap into something from deep within; something on the visceral level that will be reflected to the viewer allowing them to share this experience.
