Louis Esposito is thinking about new and exciting ideas while many of the elements he’s previously fixated on remain present. Art Critic Lance Esplund said of his paintings, “It has a stained-glass quality of everything coming up toward the surface — everything being about color, pattern and movement.” Those elements stem directly from his love for Medieval Art, early Renaissance Italian paintings, El Greco’s wild spaces, Delacroix’s geometry, Bonnard and Redon’s gorgeous and purposeful use of color, Matisse’s life-long commitment to pattern, Cubists, Mercedes Matter’s energy, and his adoration for Balthus.
“Over the course of the last year, my newest work has begun to undergo an unexpected shift. I found comfort in falling into a routine while making art. However, breaking this routine suddenly became urgent. I needed to find new sources of inspiration and embrace them. I needed to fight with my art, make a mess out of it and force myself to confront what it was within my own process that made me uncomfortable. I began by returning to my training and rediscovering what it is about making art that I love. I have a passion for searching for new artists and revisiting those who have had the most impact on me. I believe looking at art is the most fundamental step toward beginning this journey, and it has pushed me to never stop looking, to remain engaged, and to have my eyes open. Each semester I stress the importance of finding specific and unique sources with my drawing students from day one.
I want to stress to any student that this is indeed hard work and it’s normal to struggle but you must rely on your sources and hold onto them — you’ll find the answers. I still am!”