Vienna based artist Panto, focuses on the creative process. His works provide a multilevel and complete immersive experience. As with other techniques, certain processes are also relevant for working with wax, such as the application of the ground colors or the skillful use of tools. Mastering the technique is, of course, the basic requirement for being able to begin the creative process at all.
"The visuals already exist and are stored in my subconscious. With the first colors that I apply, the first ideas from the endless archive of my head emerge into consciousness. For me, the creative process consists of continuously comparing these ideas with the work in progress in order to achieve a satisfactory result. In the end, each picture is exactly the way I want it to be. If this is not the case, then the picture is not yet finished and the creative process is not yet complete."
Each of Panto's works tells a story and yet leaves room for individual interpretations. With the strong wax colors he successfully creates a 3D effect in his works.
He often adds fine details that can only be seen up close. Other things, however,
only become clear from a distance. The pictures thus invite the viewer to deal
with them more intensively.
"Unfortunately, with photographs of the works these impressions are lost because it is
impossible to play with perspective, distance or proximity, angled view from
left or right. Therefore it is important to see the works in their original form,
receiving the full experience."
Panto also opened his own gallery space in Vienna. "As an artist, it is probably nowhere easy to make a living from art, regardless of whether you have an academic education or not.
Without the right boost from those who think they know about art, it is in fact absolutely impossible."
"In principle, it has never been any different, and that's how it still is today in Vienna. In addition, the Viennese are fundamentally skeptical of everyone and everything and prefer the traditional to the new. In my opinion, it's up to everyone to form their own opinion about art, regardless of what the trend is or what art critics say about it. Art is as diverse as people's tastes. "I don't understand anything about art," people keep saying. But art is actually about very simple and essential aspects of being human: whether you feel understood, whether you can identify yourself, whether you feel appealed or touched, or none of this. And also: Is there a place in my apartment, in which the work of art can be shown to its full advantage?"
"It's very important to me to go my own way and it's not about becoming a shooting star or about business success"
I opened my studio and gallery to be independent from the opinions of others. I make art for myself and the way I want it to be, and I invite other artists to exhibit their works in my gallery, without any contractual obligations or commissions as is usually the case with art galleries. Why? Because this is a part-time job for me and I am not interested in earning money through the purchase of art works from invited artists. They are entitled to this money. By opening my studio, I also wanted to give others the opportunities for exhibitions I gave myself. Of course it's also about networking with people who have a similar attitude to art."
Everyone experiences the world around them with different perceptions and accordingly deals with the unpleasant, ugly sides of life in different ways. In his works Panto tells stories from colorful worlds in which everything is possible. It is about feelings that find their expression in this way. His works are fantastic worlds, abstract and also sometimes familiar, which seduce one to dive into them, to find or to lose oneself, depending on the eye and mood of the viewer.
"Yes, my works are about self-expression, and if there is a message, then it is this
one: that sometimes it is necessary to escape from daily routine in order to open up new horizons.
"To be artistically active has become the focus of my attention"
"It is essential for me to be authentic. For me, the fulfillment experienced in this way cannot be evoked or replaced by any other feeling."
Panto is regularly in the studio working on new pieces of art. Apart from the day to-day activities, He has planned to hold solo exhibitions every year in May and November. In addition, he organizes monthly changing exhibitions of unknown artists. "For example in March 2019, an exhibition of a retired teacher who has been drawing female nudes with pastel chalk for over 40 years and paints abstract paintings in acrylic/oil, but has never had the opportunity to present
them to the public."