Teacher Name: Valerie Xanos
Grade: Senior
Materials: Acrylic
Dimensions: 12″ x 16″
Description: This artwork is a part of a school assignment where we choose our own topic that has meaning to us to then create a series of artworks based on that topic. The main topic of mine is the negative effects of materialism. For this artwork, I chose to reveal the temporary gratification of materialism while also taking inspiration of the art style of Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Artist Statement: My style consists of digital art, mainly portraits for that matter, and a small variety of other mediums like graphite, pen, and ink, colored pencil, and markers. I tend to create my artwork based on issues in society but I would also create artwork like designs I find interesting just for my personal benefit. The environment around me along with my own thoughts inspire my artwork. Contemporary art and street art are all around me where I live. Under every bridge has a mural with a message of social justice or of something cultural, like a mural of a famous Mexican artist or how life is like in that neighborhood so I am drawn to these certain images and it has me discover more of them and my art is inspired by them. I either take the context, style, or medium of these artworks and implement them into my own. I use certain mediums to convey my message of the artwork. I feel like the medium is as important as the context of the artwork. For example, I had used acrylic to try and create an artwork that is inspired by the way Basquiat’s artworks look like. While I hardly use acrylic, just the message and style inspire me to wander into that realm. Digital art allows me to add more detail to my artworks which allows my message to be supported through these details, plus I find it useful how digital art programs have tools to help you. I’ve grown as an artist throughout the years and my style has significantly changed. When I first started out I based my art on cartoons and almost a graffiti style of art but as I grew as an artist I began to create art that was more realistic to an extent where I still found a way to incorporate that cartoon/graffiti style into it. Not to say that I don’t enjoy creating this type of art, I do because it’s what makes my style unique. As I mentioned before growing up around street art and murals, the composition of the art I grew up with was realistic in certain aspects but also cartoony. I know that my style is unique because I am growing as an artist I am exposed to many styles and many forms of it that that style will eventually grow as well and adapt to what I am exposed to.
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