American, b. 1968. Jeff Pantanella graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design (BFA 1990), and soon after traveled to Europe under a Guggenheim Fellowship (1991). After Europe, Pantanella moved to the California Coast, living throughout the Bay Area of San Francisco, and eventually settled in the Greater Los Angeles Area in 2000.

Pantanella is best known for his large-scale ‘abstract organic’ paintings made from a variety of materials such as oils, acrylic, house paint, found objects and pieces of hardware. He seldom uses traditional paint brushes to apply color and texture in his abstract works, instead relying on other, less obvious objects to provide the specific marks, and organic shapes he wishes to show. 

Pantanella searches for moments in his ‘abstract organic’ paintings that convey a personal meaning for each viewer on an individual level, yet can also be felt as a collective, human experience, such as a shared memory, feeling or intuition. Upon hearing, “I’m not sure why I like it, I just do,” is a good indicator he has accomplished his task.

Pantanella’s paintings are figments of nature, with fluid patterns of flowing water or a soft breeze moving through the canvas. They are also dynamic portrayals of the birth of life, demanding to be seen and experienced, as if to say, “Behold, I am here.” 

His work can be found in numerous private and corporate collections.