Logan Adair doesn’t live in Palm Springs yet, but his artwork is doing the introductions for him.
The West Texas teen will be in town July 6 for the Backstreet Art District’s Art Walk held on the first Wednesday of every month. Adair’s contemporary-abstract paintings will be on display at Artize Gallery.
“His work sells,” says Kelly Truscott, who owns Artize Gallery. “From my viewpoint what I have noticed about Logan is he observes quietly – soaking things in like a sponge – and then expresses what he ‘absorbs’ in his art. I am impressed with his intent, his work ethic, and how he conducts himself with people.”
PHOTOS COURTESY OF LOGAN ADAIR
West Texas teen Logan Adair, who has family ties in Palm Springs, will be in town
for the Backstreet Art District’s monthly Art Walk on July 6.
Adair, 18, has family in Palm Springs, and that initially led him to contact Truscott by mail, which led to their meeting and in-person showing of his art. Truscott expects to have about 10 pieces of his art on display for Art Walk.
Adair took a few minutes to talk about his burgeoning art career with Palm Springs Life.
Q: When did you know you wanted to be a professional artist, and how has your work changed since then?
LA: I never really thought or dreamed of being a professional artist, I just woke up one day and I was who I am. It seemed very spontaneous and something out of a dream that I never had, like destiny or something special. Growing up, I was never worried about the future. I had always wanted to be an entrepreneur and invent or create something. I never said I wanted to have a specific profession. My work changes with every brushstroke, as I am a very open-minded, experimental, and opinionated person (my opinion tends to change about every 5 minutes as well).
Q: How do you bring your life into your artwork, such as through images or themes?
LA: By being very open and honest about everything. I don’t hold anything back and paint life for what it is from my young, aspiring eyes. I have found that honesty and passion are what make anything beautiful. My art comes straight from whatever feeling or emotion is going on in my heart. I usually start painting by choosing a color or word that I like and making it up as I work. Art has always been 100 percent instinct for me. Never thinking about painting and just thinking about life. I heard somewhere that jazz music you never play the same way twice, that’s how I would describe my art in the simplest sense!
Q: Who are the favorite artists you emulate, and how is the direction of your artwork unique and different from those you admire?
LA: Some of the artists who influence me: Paul Klee, Henri Matisse, Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Michelangelo, Leonardo, Banksy, Josh Jefferson, Willem de Kooning, Julian Schnable, Kaws. These are just a few names though, I could probably tell you something about anyone who makes art that inspires me! Inspiration isn’t subjective when it comes to my art. From the beginning, some people have said that my style is very Basquiat-esque or even Picasso-esque. Maybe it is because we are trying to accomplish similar things with our art. I found out about Jean-Michel (probably 3 or 4 months after I started painting) while listening to a song by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Picasso I knew of, but wasn’t too familiar with. Only when I started painting did I begin looking into different artists or periods of art (after my first show).
I am just painting how I feel, drawing inspiration from words, nature, poetry, colors, brush strokes, and every little nuance in my work and in life. I’m not trying to paint like anybody else; I’m just trying to express myself through different mediums of art. I try not to take anything for granted, and I’m almost always inspired to make something creatively! Humility and patience have taught me a lot about my own art and how it works, just making it up, as the brush strokes form shapes. It’s like in every painting I’m trying to find myself, or a certain something and once I do, the painting is complete.
Q: What are your future plans, as a professional artist?
LA: I don’t have any plans set in stone, due to the fact that I am conflicted between a few places. I am always changing my mind about what I want to do first after high school. I am really interested in focusing on my craft and getting into more art galleries, doing collaborations and working a lot with different mediums and even clothing/fashion involving my art.
Q: How does it feel to be the youngest professional artist in Artize Gallery?
LA: I have never thought about it to be honest! I just like to create art and I feel very privileged to have someone like Kelly in my life. She has always believed in me and helped guide me through some interesting situations. I’m really thankful that she has so much trust and understanding of me in my slightly unusual situation. I have had people ignore me and say that my art is very ignorant or that they could do what I do. That’s just what happens no matter your age or profession. Some people look down on me, being a young artist, but I just look at it as opportunity, because nothing really gets to me and hate from others just motivates me to work harder. It’s their fault that they have hate in their heart anyway.
Art Walk, Backstreet Art District, 2600 Cherokee Way, Palm Springs, 6-9 p.m. July 6
www.backstreetartdistrict.com
More info: www.artizegallery.com and www.loganadair-art.com