Riding a wave of ingenuity, a pioneering artist expresses life experiences through a technique patented for its originality
by Laura D.C. Kolnoski
Gaze at the undulating windswept waves in a Francis Mesaros “Pancture,” and the sounds of the sea seem increasingly audible. His three-dimensional paintings, formed of crescent-shaped wedges created from thick, layered oil paint, have a quality that imbues them with movement; reflecting light that adds to the overall impact. Often described as “mesmerizing” and “dynamic,” the canvases are so unique, the technique and the palette knife Mesaros crafted to make them were recently granted patents by the U.S. government.
As the artists’s captivating motifs catch the attention of admirers and new clients, his rising star is morphing into a comet. After years of displaying in galleries, boat shows, festivals, and venues—including Palm Beach’s Worth Avenue—he was invited to exhibit at Miami’s famed Art Basel by an influential enthusiast. On the second day, Cirque Du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté bought two Panctures, saying he had never seen anything like them before.
Steinway & Sons piano company and the Robb Report are showcasing Mesaros in their publications. At their July 2016 Owners Club event at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, Rolls Royce is featuring Mesaros in a two-page spread for a commemorative publication, as well as sponsoring his solo exhibit there. Other Mesaros devotees include casino mogul Steve Wynn and one business titan who commissioned two works valued at $42,000 each.
“It’s very nice and humbling to be considered that way, particularly by a company like Rolls Royce, because they have high criteria, of course,” Mesaros said. “Pancture paintings contemplate the eternal theme of sea and sky. I use seascapes to both mirror and induce a reflective state of mind.”
The high-energy artist paints with the same driven intensity he expresses when describing his work as “a combination of painting and sculpture.” Some canvases contain over 5,000 precise strokes Mesaros layers on rapidly with measured, rhythmic movements.
Much of his motivation emanates from personal tragedies from which only artistic expression could free him.
Mesaros began painting at 13, sampling various careers while continuing to paint. Over the years, he lost his brother (after a premonition), his infant daughter, and his wife. He then exiled himself to his studio, where for three months did little more than paint, producing 16 works. Through those weeks, the deeply religious artist felt, “miracles were happening, and I knew this was what I wanted to do.” When Mesaros emerged, he sold $32,000 worth of paintings in one week, with suitors clamoring for more.
“If you told me seven years ago I could do this for the rest of my life and make a living, I would have questioned your sanity,” said the painter, who maintains homes and studios in Middletown, New Jersey and Sebastian, Florida. “My life is intertwined with spiritualism, and I’m grateful for that, because I need it.”
Combining focus and rhythm, once he begins a work, Mesaros will not stop until it’s complete, believing that if he leaves the process, energy will shift and the piece will show interruption. To facilitate that conviction, he developed an improved knife with interchangeable pivoting blades.
Pancture paintings have ranged from $3,800 (18″ by 24″) to $ 138,000 for the only 72″ by 60″ (220-pound) sculpted night ocean example in the world. Entitled “Majestic Eternal Ocean,” the work was first exhibited at the Wynn, Las Vegas, and is now at the Holtzman Gallery at the Claridge Hotel in Atlantic City. Other Garden State venues featuring Mesaros works are Torche’ Gallerie in Belmar and Tumblety-Howell Gallery in Ocean Grove.
Armed with his new patents, a horizon with tantalizing prospects is beckoning. Art companies are interested in marketing Pancture kits for the public, noted publicists and attorneys have joined his burgeoning enterprise, and a nationwide tour is in the offing, during which Mesaros will teach his technique.
He still exhibits his “diary” (14 works in a collection entitled “Paintings from a Life” created over 43 years, beginning at age 15), pieces from which are not for sale. “I painted my way out of darkness and depression,” he explained. “My work is simplistic in is essence, but laborious.”
“Making art isn’t all there is to it, I want to talk about the business of art in the world,” he added. “Life is like a bank for me. Success was hard to attain, but once I stopped chasing it, it gave me everything I wanted. Now I don’t have to paint for money. I’m painting for a legacy.”
Francis Mesaros
Mesaros Enterprises LLC
mesarosart.com