Luxcollective Gallery / Loft 401
VBlast - Paintings
Artist statement
After being in the graphic design business for so many years, I have become increasingly fascinated by the nature of characters and symbols used by us humans to communicate with each other. Glyphs, memes, street art and graffiti are always vying for my attention regardless of their method of transmission. We are bombarded by radio waves, signage, audio stimulation, and other various forms of visual infestation. These seek to reside in our psyche for good or ill in a constantly changing cultural environment. I am a matchstick in this tidal wave of informational cluster bombs. Many thoughts race across the wires. Many synapses are firing. Many machines on Ix
I have been painting for as long as I have been alive, and as long as I have been painting I have always loved the process, as much as the end product. I have devoted myself exclusively to painting highly textured non-objective abstract works that I find a joy and a challenge to create. Each piece is its own epiphany and a stepping stone in this path I have taken. It is my desire to draw the viewer into the work emotionally as well as physically, to entice them to return to the image again and again.
About the artist
Vblast was born in 1960 in Oakland, CA. A self taught artist, he began drawing and painting at an early age, influenced by his mother who was a landscape painter. At the age of 16, the artist began screen-printing in his garage to make extra money and the experience led him into the field of commercial art. For over 25 years, Vblast has honed his skills in the cutthroat arena of independent graphic illustration, creating shirt designs, tattoo flash, cd art, as well as magazine and book illustrations. In 2001 the artist decided to leave the world of commercial art and devote himself entirely to his own work. The abstract art of Vblast has been exhibited in a variety of northwest galleries and venues as well as being part of numerous private collections across North America.
