Writing to Tony

Went out with Tony Renner, local artist and musician, this past Thursday night- probably the coldest damn night of the year! I found Tony on The Circuit, a St. Louis online community for the local hipsters- I was instantly taken by him and his artwork. He had balls of brass, having recently completing his Master’s Thesis in American Culture Studies at Washington University, and then deciding to become a painter! Now if that’s not American Spirit, then I don’t know what is- Ha! And he’s good, too… We soon hooked up on MySlart.org, and I began to learn from watching this fellow outsider. His ability to let go and paint because he enjoyed it was refreshing.

At some point we agreed to exchange artwork and conversation at Blueberry Hill on the Loop, and I brought two custom drawings as a gift for him, “Writing to Tony No.1 & No.2”, inspired by my recent attempt at total abstraction, a product of my witness to the “Action/Abstraction” show at the Saint Louis Art Museum. The bar was packed with kids, and Tony and I were the two old guys trying to hustle through to get a bite to eat, a couple beers to drink, a quiet place to sit and talk. Tony was lovely company:  softly spoken, zero on bullshit, and a wealth of enthusiasm.
Tony gets a lot more painting done than some MFA candidates I’ve met. Like it or not, a constantly evolving and productive body of work is hard to deny, nor can anyone restrain the unflappable strength of the outsider bent on doing and learning. Academia can make you a better artist, but it can’t make you a true artist at heart- those people would do it out of real need- recognition academically, locally, socially, or any other way having little to do with their ambition. I’m an art school dropout, dirty rock-and-roller, and under-the-radar painter of course, so I can say that. Check out Tony’s work: http://tonyrenner.blogspot.com/