Art Pitliuk Style

As Columbus Day approaches, so does the final day of the summer season for my sales job at galleryblue on Old South Wharf. Though I've always regularly enjoyed browsing and buying in art galleries in every city I've either lived or visited, this was my first opportunity to actually work day to day in a gallery and to observe how and why people buy art work for their homes or places of work. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, despite the fact that this was a challenging economic climate in which to sell high ticket luxury goods such as paintings. I look forward to continue being involved in the gallery business in one way or another in the future.

One of our most popular artists this summer was pop artist Stephen Pitliuk, whose work "The Nantucket Whine Festival" is shown above. Stephen was born in Miami, where he received his art training. He has been a part of the Nantucket art scene for the past eight years. His "day job" on Nantucket is at the island hospital, where he is an x-ray technician. Several of his paintings grace the corridors of the hospital, bursting with color on the stark white walls near the radiology department and bringing delight to his colleagues, patients and visitors.

With his quick wit and warm personality as well as his entertaining, irreverent paintings and giclee prints, Stephen has created quite a following of admirers and buyers who visited galleryblue this summer. Among his fan club is art historian and scholar Sharon Lorenzo, who is a Nantucket seasonal resident. Sharon said, "Pitliuk has created a style that will endear him to those who venture into the collection of modern art; it challenges the intellect and tickles the funny bone at the same time." Well said!

Stephen's work, reminiscent of graffiti artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, attracted buyers from around the globe. Visitors to Nantucket purchased his paintings and prints as upscale reminders of their island stay or as status symbols to show their friends back in Ohio, Florida or elsewhere. Some of the more interesting moments of the summer came when a husband, wife or significant other loved Stephen's work while the other person participating in the buying decision was diametrically opposed. The situation brought a lot of other unresolved issues to the surface and sometimes became a power struggle about things far beyond whether to buy a piece of art or not. Interesting, to say the least!

Thanks, Stephen, for making my summer at the art gallery an entertaining experience in commerce, psychology, group dynamics, couples therapy and much more! To view Stephen's work and to learn more about his substance and style, go to http://www.stephentheartist.com/