Painting optimistically.

I dated a painter several months back. Funny thing is, most of my friends didn’t even know. That is because he was–as I liked to refer to him–an “Emosapien.” An Emosapien is someone who bases their life on pessimistic tendencies, as if that were a requirement in order to be a decent artist. He was “sad”. Not to mention, he had a people-phobia and a penchant for tight pants and bad Chinese food. Being involved in his life during a series of works, I saw that his placement of paint and color were always painfully intentional, and the emotion and beauty of his work came from the despairing way he viewed life at the time. For example, “Text Message to Chloe”, (painting to right) was created after he DJed to a completely empty dance floor…life altering? Anywho, looking back on this brief stint, I got to thinking about artists, and how life –how they chose to lead it– reflects upon their work.

Diego Gravinese is a photo-realistic painter from Buenos Aires. His paintings are so real they look fake; like there was a plastic coating on life. Along with the intricate realism of the people he portrays (mostly women), some of his less recent paintings juxtapose pop imagery such as cartoons, illustrations, shapes, and maps.

Diego and I are Facebook friends. Welcome to 2009! It’s a little bit absurd when you think about it, but being “friends” also allows me to look into the life of a painter who I otherwise would never meet. Along with posting photos of his paintings’ progress, I also see his real life: his friends, his ‘moods’ (status), and his relationship with a woman, Panda, who he is madly in love with. I am not a stalker, but I am interested, as pointed out before, in how artists lives genuinely affect their work. It seems to me that Diego’s life is pretty fucking great, though not more fantastical or more exciting than yours or mine…he seems, ya know, normal. Normal is a word that’s not usually accepted in the artist Dictionary, but normal doesn’t have to be boring. His most recent work portrays his love, Panda, ( Who, I know, lives all the way in Australia), and is inspired –if not obsessed– by her quirkiness. She is so outrageously adorable, and he wants the viewers to know this. He is happy, and wants viewers to know this. I love work like this because it hides nothing, but doesn’t try to say more than it is. Beautiful, colorful, and full of life. A happy life… Isn’t that what we are all after anyway?

^ A picture of a picture. Panda and the painter in action, “The Method.”

A work in process. “Pool Panda” :

More Diego

Bushwick (art), represent.

Welcome to Bushwick, Brooklyn: The home of bodegas, reggae-ton, construction and art. In just two years, there has been an overwhelming change in the face of this neighborhood.  There are coffee shops filled with art (my favorite being the Orwell Cafe), a handful of restaurants, and plenty of art galleries boasting the fresh talent of this hood and others (learn about galleries). I cannot tell you how exciting it is to live in a neighborhood before it has become “cute.”  Do not forget that there was a time, not so long ago, when Williamsburg was VERY dangerous, and when you were more likely to find a dirty syringe than a boutique in the Lower East Side.

Since moving to New York my personal photography has morphed from very composed pop portraits to a mix of life and urban landscapes. I have found some of the most fascinating things to photograph in my very own backyard–or more realistically, my very own garbage heap (Bushwick is wonderful, but it ain’t pristine). The color palette, row houses, and both destruction and construction create a new landscape.  

Within these images there is a vast array of street art which, you may or may not know, is HUGE in the art world right now (Banksy, Shepard Fairey!). Decorating the walls of Bushwick you can find C215, Swoon, Faile, Jef Aerosol and other up-and-comers. Making a name for themselves, each of these artists (yes, ARTISTS) has a technique so unique that it is impossible to pass them by. Look out!  –> bushwick art (my photos will be updated frequently)

Thinking about moving to Bushwick? Here’s some more info: Bushwick