Born (in 1963) on Martha’s Vineyard, Anthony Gude is the son of Thomas Hart Benton’s daughter, Jesse.  Anthony grew up around his grandfather’s paintings, and they have exerted a power influence on the ways he abstracts from nature and thinks about composition. He studied formally at the Art Students League in New York.

          “Although a lot of people have said 'yeah, I see Benton or you see Benton in here,' I don't see that.  I'm not trying to emulate that style at all. This, to me, is my style, and if there's similarities, well that's natural.  And in my murals and paintings I like to have a dynamic relationship happening between the figures as kind of the glue that connects the collage of images that are happening and it's the relationship between the characters within that I find are very interesting to paint although it's challenging.  It has been a challenge for me.”

          “I guess I'm my worst critic and living out here in the country I don't have too many people come down.  But over the last ten years the representational painters have gotten more respect and have hung on and survived and continue to survive pretty well.  I don't think you can get any better than what we have here.  There are some beautiful places in this country, and there are plenty of more places that I want to paint, but Kansas … I'll be painting for the rest of my life.  I don't think I can run out of ideas or situations that need painting.”

• Anthony Benton Gude