Kevin Valentine
Kevin is a self taught visual artist from Southern California where he lives in Frazier
Park. He works as a school psychologist with students with disabilities during the day,
but is always working on one project or another at night. His primary medium is acrylic,
as he enjoys fast paced experimenting and editing as part of his process. He is truly,
however, a multimedia artist, working with pastels, charcoal, ink, chalk, aluminum, silver,
and titanium in his work. He focuses on developing unique processes which incorporate
design and painterly elements to create an interesting and balanced and visual
experience. His Abstrac\t Expressionist and Post Minimalist influences are often readily
identifiable, but what makes his work unique is his maximalist juxtaposition of hard-edge
and gestural techniques, always in bold, fully saturated hues. He’s meticulous about
detail, covering every inch of every canvas, including the wrapped edges of his large
scale canvas pieces. Thematically, he is interested in the experiential aspects of art.
Artist Statement
I became an artist accidentally. After inheriting some vintage art from my grandmother, I
started seriously studying art selling. One day, I realized art has no rules and began to
experiment with painting – the rest is history. I’m not interested in capturing likeness,
conveying any particular message, or in expressing my own ideas or feelings. I fully
recognize I do not own the meaning of my work- you do. I willingly sacrifice
cohesiveness in the spirit of experimentation, always pushing myself to use new
materials, learn new techniques, and consider different styles as I develop my own
unique processes. That means I always have multiple projects going simultaneously, so
I never experience a block or lull in my excitement to create. I try to incorporate
contrasting visual elements that spark emotion and/or thought, curating these accidents
as I go. I feel as though art chose me rather than me choosing to become an artist; I
merely had to acquiesce (if I had any say in the matter at all). As she slowly reveals her
secrets, I am excited to see where she takes me.
Gallery
