Artist Statement and Bio Bio/ Artist Statement Robert Anthony Sturgis (Tony) was born in Birmingham, Alabama on May 21, 1974. He currently resides in Tuscaloosa, Alabama with his family and works full-time as a Lieutenant Firefighter Paramedic with Tuscaloosa Fire Rescue.Tony holds a BFA in studio art from the University of Montevallo. Sturgis incorporates references to artists of the Modernist era in his abstract work, including: Robert Rauschenberg, Jim Dine and Richard Diebenkorn.“Sturgis builds his paintings through layering paint – typically from 20-30 coats – and other materials to create texture such as sand andiridescent mediums. Often vague background figures are revealed,emerging from his paintings’ predominating explosions of color and pattern. Abstract forms and symbols emanate joyfulness, even as the artist asks larger visual questions such as “What is our place in the past, present and future?”Though Sturgis began his art studies in printmaking and has done commission work in portraits and murals for more than two decades, Sturgis explained,“a few years ago, his work took a decidedly abstract direction that he continues to hold steadfast to, giving the artist the cathartic and healing qualities from art he was looking for.”