Artist Statement:
I love people watching. I like to see how people interact and exist in spaces and environments. Each moment confined in its own bubble.That is what I’m trying to capture in my work. A moment of time like a snapshots that withstands the test of time frozen in place. But that is not all, it's not just visuals–music is also interwoven into my art. A lot of the artwork in my portfolio was made in a hyperspace of listening to musicians' full albums. I use sight and sound as a channel of inspiration to create pieces that make people stop and stare and drink in all the hidden details I have placed in each work.–details that maybe only super fans will appreciate.I take inspiration from the compositions of older movie posters, especially those from the 80’s such as The Thing, or Re-Animator, Brain Damage, Sleep away camp, Nightmare on Elm Street, Killer Clowns from Outer Space etc. In my work I want the viewer's gaze to focus on one point and then branch out from the center, zooming in and then out of focus. As if to follow the golden ratio in the composition. Acrylic, Gouache, and paint markers are my main mediums. Using bright colors for each piece is a must because dull colors aren’t what I tend to envision in my mind as I start each piece. As I have grown as an artist, there more I use more bright colors. Also, influencing my work in subconscious ways is how I have blossomed in the different environments I’ve lived through. I was raised Catholic both in Colombia and here in United States of America, and it tends to bleed into my work: view musicians as almost saints to be worshiped for filling the void of of silence. I’ve completed an associates degree before returning to fine art which originally wasn't my plan but instead was gonna go on the path for a funeral director.Some of the older pieces that transition to current show the point at which I really began to embrace art again.I began to experiment with more mediums, and I am breaking out of the mold I thought I had to force myself into to be taken seriously in art. Including that I have given myself a set of artist pseudonym or pen names such as "River Star" "Estrella de Rio" can be signed as in some of my work. For like a fallen star being moved by the river, its only force is to move forward, that is what I want my art to represent.
Artist Bio
Gabriel Lopez also known as River Star was born in Colombia and currently lives in New Jersey. His work branches out in different mediums of art. Using sculpting, collage, painting, and writing to express his life experiences from childhood and early adulthood that have had intense emotional impact on him. His inspiration derives from 80s-90s culture (art,fashion,music). As well as inspired by works of Basquiat, Keith Haring and other comic illustrators from the 80s. Even without any formal training he has won childhood awards and worked locally in his hometown community painting murals. He is currently finishing his Illustration BFA degree at NJCU. Dreams of one day hosting a gallery show in NYC to show family and friends his accomplishments.
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