About

Welcome to my site!

My name is Brent Pruitt. I am an artist and designer currently based in Portland, Oregon. I studied film and communications at Antioch College with a concentration in sociology and queer studies.

I started painting as an exercise in self-exploration and visual expression of my creative writing. I have continued in this vein often touching on topics of body image, social justice, gender/queer issues, mortality, existentialism and the environment. I am fascinated by the use of messaging and art as propaganda. My strongest influences lie in minimalism, constructivism and abstract expressionism.

Through various mediums, I explore different avenues of thought. Oils allow me time to play with the colors, shape and texture on the canvas. Collage often allows me to reshape notions and images from popular culture to a message with more subversive connotations.

My art often spawns from a singular, personal event, a series of words or concept. My greatest challenge is in reducing visual elements to their most basic, iconic representation while allowing the complexity of the message to remain intact and experienced by the viewer.

I recently completed my “Shadow Series” in felt fabric. I am currently expanding a self-portraiture series (that includes “Hate Crime, I”), and evolving the “Shadow Series” to canvas.

Additional Info

You may download my résumé, or view my design portfolio at Encipher Design Studio.