John De La O

Bio

John is a New York City based Fine Artist who grew up in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, where he still lives today. He attended Cooper Union and the School of Visual Arts, respectively, where his focus was Traditional Drawing, Fine Art, and Illustration. His paintings, though varied, represent a nostalgic vision, with sometimes macabre and erotic narratives. By using collages he creates with different vintage print sources, John expands them into paintings on paper and canvas, mainly using Watercolor or Acrylic. Sometimes possessing a surrealist quality, his work is always rooted in representation of the figure, with painterly flourishes. His paintings are a mix of Old World, Collage, and Pop that embody his visual interests, and his diverse NYC upbringing.

Artist Statement

The philosophy of my work is about intense productivity and carefully explored series. I like to think of the narrative of my artwork the way a writer or filmmaker approaches his or her works, often focused on one concept at a time, though changing genres and constantly evolving. Under this umbrella of ever changing styles, lies at the heart of it, a strong base of traditional drawing and painting. As an Illustration major at SVA, I strengthened my abilities to tell stories, focus on narrative, and learned how to cultivate a strong personal style, that is easily identifiable. My personal immersion and fascination with the past have been a constant source of inspiration. It helps me to select the images I use in my work, as well as infusing my painting and drawings with nostalgia. I believe the figure and the face – or perhaps, lack thereof, to be my main tool for connecting with the viewer, a platform for telling stories, and my primary subject matter. My goal as an artist is to continue to find stories to tell in the world and from my head, and to do so in a compelling way, peeking into every corner of those realms, for the rest of my life.