Huntington, New York. His first artistic inspiration he labels

as more of a natural reaction to his shy and introverted personality

 of his youth. Art was his form of speech as he was most certainly

never outspoken as a kid in any fashion. In his junior year of high

school Kevin was given a book on Michelangelo. Blown away, he

knew from that point on what he was meant to do in life, which was

to create. Kevin grew up in Northport, New York, a sort of recluse

small town for the wealthy of Long Island and New York City.

 

Eventually dropping out of high school, which consequently ended up being one of the most important decisions for him regarding his art career, Kevin began working different jobs in order to pay his way, yet what took up his time and thoughts was drawing and sketching. Stifled by art teachers throughout high school who told him that his art was worthless and that he would do better not trying at all, Kevin doubted himself as to if he had real “talent.” Soon enough his reassurance came. In the early 80’s on a subway in Manhattan while working for Broadcast Arts, Kevin was seen sketching by the then dean of Parsons University, who on the spot offered him a 2 year scholarship to the school to come and perfect his talents. As thrilled as he was to see a true ambidextrous artist, the rawness of Kevin’s drawing (p.7) was captivating to him. Kevin accepted his invitation to Parsons, which began a very new and exciting phase in his life. Throughout his early years Kevin explored his artistic ability with/by drawing and sculpture of wax and clay; it wasn’t until the early 90s that he began to take painting more seriously. At Parsons Kevin studied privately under David Passalaqua at Parsons and subsequently after his tenure there in the areas of drawing and illustration work. In continuing with his exploration of the subtle yet drastically varying subject of the female form, Kevin produced a series of whimsical and enchanting Rubenesque female figures throughout 2005 and early 2006. All figures being based on real women in his life such as his ex-wife and friends, Kevin has said that it is plain to see his emotions regarding the subject at the time in his color choices.

 

His use of contrary colors side by side combined with his abstract realistic, presenting his subjects in a hypothetical but non-absurd means of expression or environment, style in presenting the age old female subject has set his art apart in the modern international art scene. The realness of the characters, highlighting all of the natural beauty and so called flaws of that of any being, set in the storybook like world that Kevin has created, is only upset by the subtle charges of nature peering through and around the forms as if they are one. In 2006 Kevin entered into a stage of pure abstract output. Recalling the linear similarities with those of Wilfredo Lam and expressing his pure emotion, “like screaming at top of one’s lungs, saying whatever is on one’s mind,” he calls it “live expression.” The new works are very spontaneous, explosive, driven from life experiences, and the subsequent feelings from these experiences. “Once you have lived in a boiler room for any amount of time, you can then see what struggle and hardship can drive a person to create.” His abstract work is done very fast and spontaneous. He describes it as; “like cursing someone out, if you take too long to do it, it just does not come out right.” This he says is the true emotion he portrays in his paintings; he has always expressed himself in this way since a child and continues to do so today. “When I feel something, I want to create that feeling to see, and I do.”

 

A long lineage and wide range of inspirations including Michelangelo, Monet, Kline, and his fresco study at the Florence Art Academy under Romero Stefan, are insightfully reconciled to create new relations between the real world and that which he has created in his mind. Kevin has a style which is classic yet at the same moment evokes deep feeling and mystique.

 

 

Currently the two are preparing a major exhibition of their most recent collaborative works, exhibiting a style which they have perfected over the years. The exhibition, titled “FUZE” will be appearing in several locations worldwide, to be announced, in the Winter of 2007-08.