"Looking For Something That's Right in Front of You"
Adam LoRusso ponders life’s notions a lot, and you can feel his thoughts leaping, reaching, calling out to you in his mixed media pieces. You might not be able to decipher them at first glance, but each of Adam’s works are pensively crafted – you’ll pick up the sentiments in each artistic nuance. His work is balanced, ethereal, interesting and bold. It’s clear there is a permanent place for Adam in the art world, and we can’t get enough of his creations.
ArtVenue handed Adam a few questions and allowed him time to let his thoughts simmer. Here is a little glimpse into the world of a talented individual.
How and when did you discover yourself to be an artist?
I’ve always been interested in creating visual art, sketching and drawing, but grew up more as a musician. When I got to college, I couldn’t find any musicians that were into playing the same type of music so I said ‘whatever’ and picked up a pencil and paintbrush instead.
Envision yourself at the pinnacle of your artistic career?
Not really sure to be honest. I try to stay in the present and not worry too much about the future.
“Stop thinking so much and just make stuff. Experiment.”
The very first piece or work ever created by you-what/when was it, is it anything like the work you do now, and do you have it in your possession?
A three-legged dinosaur outlined in green crayon from when I was 5 or 6; it’s tucked away somewhere in my mother’s closet. I still have a bunch of drawings and painting studies that I did when I started taking art classes in college. My professor gave us this awesome assignment that consisted of taking a bunch of completely unrelated photo references we liked and working them into a drawing together; the first one I did was a woman surrounded by all these molecules and vintage clocks. That’s probably what strengthened my interest in surreal/visionary art and my motivation to use my work as a way to show people things that exist even though our eyes can’t necessarily see them (molecules, metaphysical concepts, etc…).
"Xx Transmission"
If you were given a blank check, an hour in your favorite art store and permission to shop to your heart’s content, what would we see in your shopping cart/s?
A whole mess of things: acrylics and watercolors, tons of brushes, Prismacolor and Sharpie markers, spray paint, a bucket of Mod Podge, acrylic medium, x-acto knife blades, any magazines or art books I could cut pictures out of, and probably a bunch of stuff I’ve never used before just to play and experiment with.
What is your creative process, typically? (Mood, time of day, rituals, duration of work, surroundings, caffeine intake, sleep-depravation levels, etc…)
I’ve tried to figure this out for 5-6 years and I honestly don’t know. The only common factor I’ve noticed is that my work usually comes in big waves. I’ll usually create 4-5 pieces in a two week span, and do nothing but work on those pieces of art. Then, once they’re finished, I won’t pick up a paint brush for three to four weeks. And repeat. That’s the main reason I’ve learned to work with mediums that dry quickly; I’m able to have an ‘art-xplosion’ without smudging everything together.
"Eagle's Song"
Where do you gather and/or seek your inspiration from?|
Things that I find fascinating. A beautiful woman, a silent and ever-present Buddha, the fact that the ‘world’ we conceive is actually just one giant field of energy, what it was like for warriors to hunt for food before supermarkets existed. I use art as a way of sparking an inner dialogue that might help me understand these concepts. I start with a concept and just go from there and see where it goes. Sometimes I come to a better understanding on a subject; sometimes I just confuse the crap out of myself. But I guess it’s the journey that matters more than the final destination.
“I couldn’t find any musicians that were into playing the same type of music so I said ‘whatever’ and picked up a pencil and paintbrush instead.”
If I’m a fly on the wall as you’re creating art, what do I see?
It really depends on what I’m doing at the moment. There’s times I’m sitting meditatively in silence only making the necessary movements to put paint on a canvas. Then there’s other times I’ll just thrash about hucking any art medium within arms reach at a canvas and end up looking like a 5 year-old after finger painting for the first time.
Describe your art with 3 adjectives and a genre, if you can.
Experimental, Self-realizing, and Alive. I have no idea what ‘genre’ my work would fit into really.
"They'll Call Me Freedom"
What is some advice you could give to budding artists, hopeful to make a name for themselves or looking to build a portfolio?
Stop thinking so much and just make stuff. Experiment.
There is symmetry in several of your pieces on ArtVenue — what’s the story behind that?
I’ve always been intrigued by the psychedelic aesthetic, so that’s probably where I subconsciously picked it up. I never really sat down and was like ‘OKAY! Now THIS piece will be symmetrical!”. It just kind of came out that way.
“I use art as a way of sparking an inner dialogue that might help me understand these [self-realizing] concepts.”
Pick your favorite piece on ArtVenue. What does it mean to you, why is it your favorite, and how did it come to be?
Not to sound cliché but each piece holds a different lesson and meaning to me, I don’t really think I have a particular favorite so to speak.
Anything else?
I have a solo show opening September 3rd at Dark World Gallery in Worcester. I’m super stoked on all the new work and really excited to get some feedback on it. Check it out!
"Lion Heart"
View Adam LoRusso’s complete ArtVenue profile!
ArtVenue would like to thank Adam for giving us some of his time and thoughts. We are thrilled to have him on ArtVenue – welcome to the family!