Statement
I have a deep interest in the unseen and uncelebrated populations of our declining former industrial cities. My hometown Binghamton, NY serves as prime example of this urban deterioration. With a strong focus on everyday encounters, my paintings document individuals we commonly overlook. Influenced by my exposure to the life in upstate New York, I use real-life experiences as inspiration for these unidealized and intimate portrayals. Binghamton’s rich history and urban decay create a backdrop that is specific, but also can be read more broadly as an investigation into the hazards of globalization, industrialization, and the ensuing perils to the individual. The city once flourished with major manufacturers. Many of these industries are now in ruins and have left economic hardships for the area. My subjects are the victims of these problems. They have been left with shattered lives plagued by lack of opportunity or mobility. The subjects I paint are not only specific portraits, but also charged symbols of an entire economic system that has rejected them as it moves forward.
I use my street photography as painting reference. This allows me to capture unscripted, natural moments. I spend time with various groups, getting to know them, and becoming familiar with their lives and locations. I want to place the individual within a clear environment that has visual clues to help locate the person geographically and economically. In this way I hope to portray both the humanity of my subjects, and the forces that are the root of their victimization. I strive to find a balance between idealization and specificity that will tell the tale of their situation with compassion and an understanding for the larger economic forces that have shaped them.
CV
Education
2016 BFA , The School of Visual Arts, New York, NY
Solo Exhibitions
2019 Old Friend, New Genre, The Broome County Arts Council- Artisan Gallery, Binghamton, NY
2016 Unseen Lives: Untouched Power, Orazio Salati Gallery, Binghamton, NY
Selected Group Exhibitions
2019 Human Variations, The Roxbury Arts Group- Walter Meade Gallery, Roxbury, NY
2018 Song Of Myself- Self Portraits, The National Arts Club, New York, NY
2016 Contemporary Figures: Form Beyond Function, The National Arts Club, New York, NY
2016 Will Barnet Student Exhibition, The National Arts Club, New York, NY
2016 Future Critical, Daniel Cooney Fine Art, New York, NY
2016 Linkedin: From Photography, to Painting, to Sculpture and New Media, SVA Chelsea Gallery, New York, NY
2016 Cross–Cultural Dialogue: Sino American Art and Design Students Exhibition, Jacob K. Javits Center, New York, NY
Awards/ Grants/ Scholarships
2016 SVA Alumni Grant, The School of Visual Arts, New York, NY
2012 Silas H. Rhodes Scholarship, The School of Visual Arts, New York, NY
.
2011 First Place Award, Congressional Art Competition: New York’s 22nd District, United States Capitol Building, Washington, DC
Bibliography
2015 Heather Merlis, “Shining A Light On The Other Side: Dillon Utter’s Implied Narrative,” The Triple Cities Carousel, Binghamton, NY http://www.carouselrag.com/article/shining-light-other-side-dillon-utter’s-implied-narrative
2014 Kelly Richman, “Dillon Utter Paints Gritty Portraits Of Individuals Often Overlooked,” Beautiful Decay
http://beautifuldecay.com/2014/11/27/dillon-utter-paints-gritty-portraits-individuals-often-overlooked/
I have a deep interest in the unseen and uncelebrated populations of our declining former industrial cities. My hometown Binghamton, NY serves as prime example of this urban deterioration. With a strong focus on everyday encounters, my paintings document individuals we commonly overlook. Influenced by my exposure to the life in upstate New York, I use real-life experiences as inspiration for these unidealized and intimate portrayals. Binghamton’s rich history and urban decay create a backdrop that is specific, but also can be read more broadly as an investigation into the hazards of globalization, industrialization, and the ensuing perils to the individual. The city once flourished with major manufacturers. Many of these industries are now in ruins and have left economic hardships for the area. My subjects are the victims of these problems. They have been left with shattered lives plagued by lack of opportunity or mobility. The subjects I paint are not only specific portraits, but also charged symbols of an entire economic system that has rejected them as it moves forward.
I use my street photography as painting reference. This allows me to capture unscripted, natural moments. I spend time with various groups, getting to know them, and becoming familiar with their lives and locations. I want to place the individual within a clear environment that has visual clues to help locate the person geographically and economically. In this way I hope to portray both the humanity of my subjects, and the forces that are the root of their victimization. I strive to find a balance between idealization and specificity that will tell the tale of their situation with compassion and an understanding for the larger economic forces that have shaped them.
CV
Education
2016 BFA , The School of Visual Arts, New York, NY
Solo Exhibitions
2019 Old Friend, New Genre, The Broome County Arts Council- Artisan Gallery, Binghamton, NY
2016 Unseen Lives: Untouched Power, Orazio Salati Gallery, Binghamton, NY
Selected Group Exhibitions
2019 Human Variations, The Roxbury Arts Group- Walter Meade Gallery, Roxbury, NY
2018 Song Of Myself- Self Portraits, The National Arts Club, New York, NY
2016 Contemporary Figures: Form Beyond Function, The National Arts Club, New York, NY
2016 Will Barnet Student Exhibition, The National Arts Club, New York, NY
2016 Future Critical, Daniel Cooney Fine Art, New York, NY
2016 Linkedin: From Photography, to Painting, to Sculpture and New Media, SVA Chelsea Gallery, New York, NY
2016 Cross–Cultural Dialogue: Sino American Art and Design Students Exhibition, Jacob K. Javits Center, New York, NY
Awards/ Grants/ Scholarships
2016 SVA Alumni Grant, The School of Visual Arts, New York, NY
2012 Silas H. Rhodes Scholarship, The School of Visual Arts, New York, NY
.
2011 First Place Award, Congressional Art Competition: New York’s 22nd District, United States Capitol Building, Washington, DC
Bibliography
2015 Heather Merlis, “Shining A Light On The Other Side: Dillon Utter’s Implied Narrative,” The Triple Cities Carousel, Binghamton, NY http://www.carouselrag.com/article/shining-light-other-side-dillon-utter’s-implied-narrative
2014 Kelly Richman, “Dillon Utter Paints Gritty Portraits Of Individuals Often Overlooked,” Beautiful Decay
http://beautifuldecay.com/2014/11/27/dillon-utter-paints-gritty-portraits-individuals-often-overlooked/