I truly believe that my art is not a result of some god given talent but rather a fundamental desire to make my ideas beautiful. When I arrive at those trivial moments in my life when I am unable express my ideas into words, my native reaction is to wrap my fingertips around a brush and paint my statement or sentiment. To say it simply; I make art because it is the most practical means of portraying expression for me. I create art because I am a human and humans are naturally expressive creatures. I am only taking advantage of the intrinsic expression I am capable of. Some choose to make music as their form of expression, others preach, some may write and some may kill but I paint.

 

Before any creation takes places I develop an idea. As a human I have either witness or lived through the spectrum of situations we have all endured whether happy or not. This is how I am able to discover and collect a plethora of ideas. Those ideas all stem from a singular vision which is that through my art I can prove my empathy for the tragic and beautiful. In the end I am inspired by us and the lives we share with each other, nature, and our imaginations.

 

My Sweet Dandelion 2009 - Rene Medrano

Because the origin of most of my art is factual or based on reality itself, it would be far too easy for me to illustrate my poignant statement through a literal depiction because the foundation is already literal. Instead I want to portray that reality through a conceptual lens that strips any real depictions away and introduces symbolic colors and shapes that represent each component of the story being told. This technique is what leads my art to be considered conceptual. Furthermore I love making beautiful things and I have always been adamant in making my art aesthetically pleasing to the eye (even if the aesthetic is unconventional). The correlation between conceptuality and beauty is a combination of my desire to make attractive pieces and my need for those pieces to get attention. For instance a piece that is flooded with peculiar geometry or eccentric colors is far more likely to mesmerize a person, than a painting of simple nature scenery. (Not to discredit the talent of artists who make literal art.)  In this way “mesmerization,” “conceptuality,” and “beauty” all become synonymous of each other thus making a viewer see the statement in a whole new way and begin to think of my message in a whole new way and hopefully walk away inspired.

 

The process in making my art fascinates me. I begin with a random observation or contemplation. As soon as an opinion, quandary or emotion generates within me because of that certain observation, I collect ideas on how to creatively manipulate my inspiration into visual art. I must say that my love for transforming ideas into words and words into colors, shapes, and brushstrokes is a vital component for the love that fuels my passion for art. Although the creative thought process of an art piece is riveting and enjoyable nothing beats the feeling of actually creating the art piece. I always begin with my general brainstorming in mind but whilst I’m caught in the chaos that is painting most of that structured thinking is defenestrated.  I mostly maintain a basic illustration of my original thoughts only adjusting the placement of certain components. A lot of the adjustments I make are a result of the conditions under which I make my art. I face these adjustments rather constantly because I am not a traditionally trained artist. It is those types of challenges that make my art all the more special. For example if I happen to drip paint on to the canvas accidently, I appreciate it and utilize that accident as though it were fate. This discourse between structured planning and impulsive painting allows me to always remain conceptual.

I Am Eliot 2008 - Rene Medrano

All things considered when all inspiration has taken place and creativity has developed a living art piece representing a now tangible statement; my job is to have conveyed some sort of message. My message is hope. Almost every painting I make has a message of hope, sometimes done intentionally other times not. I portray a sad reality and I want to convey the message of hope in order to tell my audience that life is beyond sadness. I have made paintings from everything from abortion to genocide, from racism to prostitution. I want to say to the world we can move pass the judgment, the hatred and violence and experience the beauty of our bodies, minds and universe. That transcendence is my message of hope.

 

If at the end of my days there is nothing left of me, one thing will remain certain about me and that is my innate love for art. Art has proved to be my past as established by my ability to work with my hands a quality I believe I have bequeathed from my mother and her mother who both are artisans. Art has proved to be my present as established by my constant need to translate inspiration into visual art or written art. Art has proven to be my future because I couldn’t imagine a day when the feeling of paint dripping upon that white canvas for the first time is not a satisfying feeling for me. Art is my source of nostalgia and encouragement. Art allows me to evoke expressions freely without demanding constraints. Art makes my statement beautiful, original and brilliant. I am René Medrano; an artist.