About

Peter Knapp

Lives in Sunderland, MA USA

Born May 1, 1950

 

What has inspired me the most throughout my life is the abstract quality I see in nature, and what springs from my own soul as a result is the art I create.

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I graduated from the University of Massachusetts in 1972 with a degree in art. My early work consisted of woodcuts and drawings.  I eventually became enchanted with what computers could do as a tool to express myself, and this led to photography aided by graphic software.

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With the explosion of information that became available on the internet, I have increased my knowledge of art history and artists throughout the world. I am greatly attracted to modern art, especially the work coming out of New York City.

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Numerous artists have had a profound influence on my own work:

 

Some of these artists include Georgiana Houghton, Wassily Kandinsky, Arshile Gorky, Franz Kline, Willem DeKooning, Mark Tobey, Leonard Baskin, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Vanessa Prager, Chuck Close, Susan Te Kahurangi King, James Siena, and Peter Linde Busk.

Currently I am painting in acrylic in my studio in Sunderland...

 

In October of 2012 I suffered from chest pains, and shortly after arriving at the hospital had cardiac arrest. Everything went to the color of black, starting from the periphery of my vision, quickly working its way into the center and coming to a point. Then nothing - total oblivion. The doctors treating me said I died, but they were able to bring me back.  I am extremely thankful for all they did, and find myself constantly observing with gratitude and awe at what nature reveals, acutely aware of life and death, taking ideas from this experience and my surroundings to create my art.