There are some passions that grab a hold of you at a young age and simply never let go. Such is the case with artist Jay West, who has been painting and drawing since the age of four. As he’s grown into a man, Jay, like any smart artist, has narrowed his medium’s specialty to what he enjoys doing best, which is working with acrylic paints. He has also honed his personal artistic style, and describes it as “pop expressionism” (a phrase he coined).
As for inspiration, Jay says it pretty much comes from everywhere: his past personal experiences, his present surroundings, current events, and anything else that moves him. He is currently working on what he describes as a “really personal body of work” for Art Basel Miami Beach, and while some artists could care less about whether audiences can connect with their material, Jay takes a more populist approach. “I feel that the work I’m going to create, people can relate to it in a really…direct way, because [it] tackles human emotions.” The pieces tell stories of “love, lust, infidelity, monogamy, temptation—all these pillars that all humans can attest to.”
Having art be accessible is certainly a breath of fresh air, and is no doubt part of why Jay West is on the road to success. To learn more about Jay’s approach to his work, be sure to watch the video above.
