Class of 2016 Senior Art Thesis
Chris Jimenez-Labora
Contact Information:
Chris Jimenez-Labora
ARTIST STATEMENT:
My work combines the traditional practices of a graffiti writer with the traditional practices of a studio painter. I incorporate spray paint, and ink filled marker mops that are usually used to tag the back of street signs, with sable hair brushes and linen canvas. My color palette is just as inspired by Nike Air Jordan kicks as it is by the color theory that inspired the Bauhaus movement. Two-point perspective that I learned from my industrial design course blends together with self taught techniques to create depth and layering in my work. Highly pigmented colors, splashed with drips and pours are layered with subtle gradients to create work that is playful yet sincere. Where as I used to illustrate my graffiti letters with spray paint, my work on canvas is a result of actually painting with aerosolized paint. The work is neither full on street art, nor is it zombie abstraction, it’s a balance of the two that lies somewhere halfway, and begins a conversation between the streets and the studio.
These paintings were made possible by the Steven Daniel Smallen Memorial Fund, the Casstevens Family Fund, the Art Department Funds for Seniors, and the Class of 1979 Student Travel Award. Thank you very much for your generosity and support.