Arts and culture of the world is something that many people can come to appreciate and recognize, however, despite the beauty of it , art from artists in your “own backyard” is overlooked. One should take a step back and see some of what local artists creativity have to bring to the table, in particular New York. Meet Jack Cox, a 21 year-old an artist from Selden, Long Island, New York. He was first inspired to make art from when he was a child. “My parents always brought art supplies when we went places so I was exposed to it at a very young age. During all of schooling I always succeeded most in art classes,” Cox said. He went on to study Painting and Drawing in college for one year, but felt like he wasn’t having the opportunity to really make art, when he so craved that outlet. It wasn’t until this year that he finally realized that art was really his natural calling.
The candidness of his art is that there’s a lot of ingenuity. You can feel the energy of the people in his paintings as you view it. “I love painting portraits because I think people are so interesting. I try to capture a single moment and emotion that they were experiencing at the time and preserve it in the painting. I’m currently working on adding a setting to the background to create more of a narrative in each portrait. A close second are mandala’s, but in a more common use sense and not a religious one. They are in fact meditative for me because they require a lot of patience, but there is no religious meaning to my mandala work,” Cox said.
The spontaneity of his work as he dips the paintbrush onto the canvas is one of the many things that makes the art feel like you’re right along with the person looking back at you at the canvas. When asked how would he describe his own work, he stated “I would describe my work as contrasting, organic and vibrant. I typically use distinct color changes from the background to the foreground so the person or mandala seems to pop out and contrast the background. Organic because I don’t usually start with preliminary sketches or a color palette. Lastly I would describe my art as vibrant because of the pop style colors I use.”
This lifelike quality has allowed his works to be featured in Manhattan and Brooklyn galleries. “During the first opening weekend at the Gowanus Lofts and Galleries I totally cried. Happy tears of course, but being a part of a show in a gallery space in Manhattan and Brooklyn had been a goal of mine since I was a kid,” he said. “It felt really good to know that somebody thought I was talented enough to take place in an event like that. A special thank you to Dylan Bauver, the curator of the gallery.”
All in all, the cultivation and manifestation of talent is possible, although sometimes doubt exists. When asked, what are some tips he would suggest to people to get exposure for their art, Cox said “…..I’d say apply for as many shows as you can, network and network. You can’t be afraid to talk to people and tell them about your work. I wouldn’t have met Dylan if I hadn’t been taking part in another show, the Conception Event in NYC, where we were both showcasing.” Take a leap of faith, do what you love and be true to yourself. Success can be at your fingertips, just as Cox experienced.
If you are interested in viewing more of his artwork you can view it on Instagram @jackwcox.
