Artists We Love :: Alvaro Naddeo
At some point last year, the incredible work of Alvaro Naddeo popped into our life by way of an art opening of his work at the Think Space Gallery. Once we started scrolling through some of his work, we quickly needed to know and see more.
At some point last year, the incredible work of Alvaro Naddeo popped into our life by way of an art opening of his work at the Think Space Gallery. Once we started scrolling through some of his work, we quickly needed to know and see more. During some of our exploring we came across the video below which breaks down some of the how & why’s behind his beautiful intricate creations. Enjoy!
You can check out more of his work: HERE
Artist’s Statement:
The subject matter of my work is waste, overconsumption and social inequality. Trash and objects found in the street are valuable, and not only for aesthetic reasons. The brands, logos and packaging depicted in my work are objects with an inherent duality, both desirable and despicable, a clear byproduct of having worked in advertising for more than 20 years.
About:
I am originally from São Paulo, Brazil and have also lived in Lima, New York City and currently in Los Angeles. These urban environments have shaped my memory and permeate most of my work. I am partly self-taught and partly homeschooled. My father is an illustrator, and as a kid I spent many hours drawing and watching him work. He was a constant source of inspiration and encouragement, but having an artist father also proved frustrating at times. At 17, I remember comparing my work to his and thinking my drawings and paintings were not good enough. I quit. I pursued a career in advertising as an Art Director, something that still allowed me to exercise my interest in art but without requiring mastery with the pencil or brush. 20 years later, while living in New York City and being exposed to its many contrasts, my desire to pick up the brushes intensified. Now I am back to painting and this time I’m not quitting.
Art & Poems We Love :: Jean Michel Basquiat - Defacement & A Prayer
Starting off the Monday flow with a little art & poetry by Jean Michel Basquiat yo!
Jean Michel Basquiat - Defacement
On September 15 1983, a 25-year-old graffiti artist named Michael Stewart was beaten into a coma by New York police after tagging a wall at First Avenue subway station. He died 13 days later, his cause of death listed as cardiac arrest. In a story that is still all too depressingly familiar 33 years later -- the police claimed Stewart had become violent, struggled with officers, and ran into the street. Stewart was beaten unconscious before dying of his injuries. All eleven officers involved in the incident were later acquitted by an all-white jury.
Stewart's treatment while in police custody and the ensuing trials sparked debate concerning police brutality and the responsibilities of arresting officials in handling suspects. Another young, black artist affected by the event was Jean-Michel Basquiat, who went to his good friend Keith Haring's studio in the East Village and painted Defacement (The Death of Michael Stewart) on the wall. Haring kept it above his bed until his death in 1990.
Hoping to increase awareness of the painting itself and the continued political importance of Basquiat's work, New York based writer and activist Chaédria LaBouvier has created a multimedia project exploring Defacement, Basquiat and police brutality. The debut of the project and scholarship was at Williams College, Massachusetts, where a talk was held. The painting is the subject of programming -- which she also curated -- while it's on view at the Williams College Museum of Art.
This work is personal for LaBouvier; her own brother, Clinton Allen was killed by Dallas police whilst unarmed in March 2013, and after his case was no-billed by the Grand Jury, she and her mother co-founded Mothers Against Police Brutality to support other families who have lost children to police brutality. I spoke to her about the importance of the project, Basquiat's legacy and how his work ties into the conversations we're having about police and black and brown bodies more than three decades after Michael Stewart's death.
Jean Michel Basquiat - A Prayer
Starting off the Monday flow with a little art & poetry by Jean Michel Basquiat yo!
Artists We Love :: Dan Gluibizzi
As long as I've been able to drip water into globs of ketchup on my Sesame Street kid plates and turning meals into abstract watercolor works...I've been hooked! As I've gotten older, my love for watercolor paintings and for artists who create masterpieces with water and paint has only grown stronger.
As long as I've been able to drip water into globs of ketchup on my Sesame Street kid plates and turning meals into abstract watercolor works...I've been hooked! As I've gotten older, my love for watercolor paintings and for artists who create masterpieces with water and paint has only grown stronger.
Recently, my homie Kevin Kay who runs the FMLY art gallery in NYC put me onto one of artists, Dan Gluibizzi. As I began clicking on the images of his art, my mind quickly started imagining how great his collection would look all around my house and studio.
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DAN GLUIBIZZI
Born in 1971, raised in PA.
Lives and works in Portland, Oregon
BIOGRAPHY
Recent exhibitions include Western Exhibitions, Chicago, Kopeikin Gallery, Los Angeles, Postmasters, New York, Ampersand Gallery, Portland, Oregon and Kunstraum Kreuzberg/ Bethanien, Berlin.