Pieces of the Picture

The art of Andrew Carter

Andrew is an artist currently living in Philadelphia. Working in oil, Andrew introduces the viewer to what can be seen as a mundane concept in the title then presents a dynamic visual production that goes behind the surface perception in several areas of life – from the physical to the psychological into the metaphysical.

ID #1 2009 (30x36, oil on canvas)

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Anatomy of Depression 1998 (36x48, oil on canvas)

Broken Dream 2000 (36x48, oil on canvas)

Portrait of Anxiety 1999 (36x48, oil on canvas)

Yahoo 1999 (36x48, oil on canvas)

A simple expression of joy

ID #2 2010 (36x48, oil on canvas)

In Dreams 2005 (36x48, oil on canvas)

Talking in My Sleep 2002 (36x48, oil on canvas)

The Devils Inside 2003 (36x46, oil on canvas)

Prayer 2000 (36x48, oil on canvas)

Vision and Perception 2004 (30x36, oil on canvas)

Inspired by the surrealistic dual reality of vision and perception.

Background Noise 2024 (30x40, oil on canvas)

A study of light in motion at different frequencies

330 East 83rd Street 2010 (30x40, oil on canvas)

East 83rd Street in Yorkville is typical of many of the small, side streets on the Upper East Side -resplendent in pillows of white dogwood flowers that bloom each spring. The colors of spring, recreated in this typical scene, help capture the brightness of the season.

Woman in Manhattan 2008 (36x48)

Man in Manhattan 2009 (36x48)

Sex and Violence – 2008 (36x48, oil on canvas)

Pursuit of Freedom 2023 (30x40, oil on canvas)

A Future Date – 2007 (30x40, oil on canvas)

The Yorkville Pub Series

Tuesday Afternoon, 2nd Avenue - 2002 (30x40)

Tuesday Afternoon, 2nd Avenue captures the seemingly mundane events of a Tuesday afternoon in a pub.

In this scene, we see three men at the bar: two of them looking out the window to the left and down the street. The third man, pensively reading the newspaper, perhaps looking for a job.

There is a mirror in the top right corner and reflects the bartender lighting the cigarette of a patron, presumably a female as evidenced by the gold chain that serves as a strap for her pocketbook on the table we see in the left foreground.

The Pool Game 2000 (36x48, oil on canvas)

Inspired by the Irish Pubs in Yorkville, the unfolding story captures the friendly yet competitive atmosphere of pub life in the late 1990’s.

In this scene, we are greeted with a group of men on the left, two couples, on the left and right, mingling. A woman in the rear, leaning on the pool table, and a man wearing a hat walking into the bathroom.

The woman leaning against the pool table has just won the game against the man headed into the bathroom The three men drinking in the front wagered on the match. The first bald man, with his hand on the money, won the bet.

The two agitated men in the front bet on the loser.

Meanwhile, the man in the white shirt with the big belly is sneaking his hand into the money pile of the man pointing at the bald man in front.

Wise to this, the bartender, out the side of his mouth, is telling the would-be thief to keep his hands to himself.

In a totally unrelated moment, the man in the black jacket is reaching into his pocket to present an engagement ring to his girlfriend, who stands on her tiptoes in anticipation.

The décor of the wood above the bar is a tribute to America and the arts. The emblems of Ireland’s four provinces are behind the bar on the wall.

Last Call at Brady’s 2003 (24x36)

Last in the pub series, Last Call at Brady’s captures the end of another pool game at the end of the day on the Upper East side.

In this scene, at about 4 a.m. on any given day of the week, we see the bartender in the foreground, five empty bar stools, and three men by the back end of the bar.

Upon inspection of the pool table in the back, we see all solid balls in the spent ball rack on the underside of the table. On the surface of the table, we a couple of striped balls and the eight ball.

The dejected man in the Phillies cap had run the table and sank all the solid balls. He only had to sink the eight ball to win the game, but he scratched and lost the game. The smiling man in the black sweater, who hadn’t taken a shot, won the game.

Prior to this, a group of women, entertained by the excitement of seeing a pool table being run in one turn of the game, quickly departed once the man scratched on the last shot.

Adding insult to injury, the man in the sweater pushing the broom is about to elbow the loser in the back of the head.

A Modest Exhibition 2002

(36x48, oil on canvas)

Narcissus Plots His Revenge

2023 (30x 40, oil on canvas)

Fear of Love 2011

(36x48, oil on canvas)

Further examination of this seemingly benign street scene, taken from a brownstone in Rittenhouse Square, reveals a strange and hidden reaction to the implications and ultimate result of physical love; the birth of a child and the relationship that traditionally formed the basis of the family unit – marriage.

The emotional machinations these themes provoke can be seen in the action in the scene and in the blocks that make up the front wall of the house.