May Artist: First Edition

Below: "Frankeinstein's Monster Before Rediscovering Fire Again" by Darryl Kravitz

Below: "Sleeping Guitars Dream Too" by Darryl Kravitz

April 20th, 2016

"The Mind In The Manners Of Darryl Kravitz"

Finding his new path on a creative road of nostalgic twists and turns, Darryl Kravitz embraces finding "new in the old" through all his artistic endeavors. As a consistent creator from Irvington, New Jersey, he stays true to this philosophy and concomitantly identifies his art with his internal mind, never as an understatement to his external creations. Darryl often has thoughts about life and uses positive statements from his past to incorporate into his present future. Finding out how he puts his thoughts into art was mere layering from prolific past to present. I found it delightful to learn this and to compare it to a technique he hones by placing a minimum of five depths he calls looking forward that reminded me of the layers within his artistic progression.

Why are there so much depth to your pieces?

"So that through two dimensional space, goes back almost like having 3D glasses on" - Darryl Kravitz

Darryl passionately states, "Each painting or piece of art has its own identity; a personality that is sometimes a pastel explosion of color or can be a philosophical statement in different hues. Color schemes and symbolisms are captured in a core concept that embraces my thoughts for the moment. I paint with passion and depth, not for myself but for my audience. It drives my energy to make statements, not just a decorative wall hanging."

Is this part of the reason why this multifaceted creator has had success with this concept, only to have pushed him to publish six books; one of empowerment such as " Avoiding Regrets"? Again, creating something for his audience, Darryl has pushed the limits to write inspiring pages that are not only uplifting and inspirational, but makes you want to act on it while in itself helping change the world. Reading some of the inspiring quotes has pushed me to believe in fact that Darryl is not only a self taught artist, photographer and writer, but his soul runs deep. His strong beliefs bless him and encourages shared and expanded innovation and artistic perception through his art.

Although at the time lacking young experience of classic artistic skill and patience, Darryl started painting at seventeen years young and has always had a passion for all types of art. Experience seems to have come with time, and time has given him experience to create in depths most never feel. After seeing an amazing amount of artists in the industry, I find it humbling to see such passion in the creation itself by him. He was meant for big things in this life and his art seems to grow from one medium to another within the seconds of his inner child. Having said this, before painting, Kravitz published his first poetry pieces in the local newspaper at eight. This was a positive outlet for an artist as young as he to externalize his visual pictures in his mind and transcribe them on to paper.

Since then, Darryl has successfully created an extensive background in photography, digital design and acrylic painting. Having been featured in twenty four demonstrative art achievements, he continues to contribute to the art world with documentaries, televisions shows and gallery artist openings and receptions. Darryl states, "A world without art would be bland. Art is so part of our society. Fashion, design of products, even science advancement, innovation takes a constant and through artistic thought creates the tools for a better world."

While mentoring artists on social media and through his books, Daryl has had a share of his own mentors. The three artistic figures in his life would be Man Ray, A.M. Cassande and Duchamp. Ray taught Darryl that photography can be a powerful art form as A.M. Cassande showed that the simplest forms can convey action and concept without having to have the classic skill sets to form art. In his photography you will find bold statements and images that leave open for interpretation leaving only his eyes and camera proving to be the only skill set needed. In learning about Kravitz he stated that one of his biggest teachers, Duchamp taught him through his own philosophy, "Art is all around you. You just have to perceive it." Those words of his mentor helped Darryl see the world a different way and influenced change in his own art.

After learning from three great mentors and working towards humbling goals such as being able to live comfortable without being gluttonous, he works to create and sharing time with friends and family which truly makes his goals a success. He saw art within everything including memories with his family and friends while listening to music, the sequences in film and animation and engaging in strategic games of chess and pool. As a Leo/Virgo baby, right on the cusp, he challenges you to prove the astrology wrong.

I asked Darryl what the world needed more of and how art can help and he replied with these wonderful words.

"Art has always been and always will be a dynamic tool. It can sway opinion, evoke emotion, calm the soul or provoke or change perception. A perfect example there was an old art book I had once called " Paper Bullets". The focus of the book was propaganda posters and World War I and II. I found it fascinating how through visuals you can sway people to anger. So art should be used to make a better world in the right hands. I feel it should be used with the responsibility to bring joy, show the lighter palette of the soul. I do like satire and some of that is poking fun of normal perception. I believe in giving back to the pool of artistic knowledge through education and course charity."

Kravitz finds that landscapes are strong on his list of reflecting art and how he sees it. He has even gone so far to combine portraits and landscapes as one entity. He shared, “As I grew up as an artist, the work changed to more thematic statements of what I was feeling at the time or a concept close to my heart.” I find in looking at Darryl’s art that there are a wide variety of different themes and statements that you get lost in. His artwork is full of layers I suspect that are tied into the heart and it shows on canvas and through his writing.

I believe that the reason Darryl Kravitz has come into this world is to share who he is with the people surrounding you and I today. The hurt, the happy, the calm, the angry, the loved and unloved. His art and writing give people hope. He shows that there are outlets in creativity where you can full heartedly follow the paths of all emotion and interpret it through positivity and creativity. Thank you Darryl for letting me share; The Artist.

Written By Skye Amber Sweet