Check out Steven DaLuz’s Artwork

Today we’d like to introduce you to Steven DaLuz.

Steven, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I was born in Hanford, California, in 1953. As the son of an Air Force officer, I traveled throughout the country, and attended 13 schools by the time I graduated in 1971. My art studies were interrupted by a decision to serve as a medic during the end of the Vietnam War era. While serving in the Air Force, I completed a BA degree in Social Psychology, and an MA degree in Management. Throughout, I remained devoted to making art in my free time. After living 13 years in other countries, I retired from the Air Force, and re-engaged my lifelong passion for art by resuming my studies at San Antonio College, where I completed an AAS in Graphic Design. Soon after, I completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with a concentration in painting from the University of Texas at San Antonio. The City of San Antonio’s Fiesta Commission selected my painting, “Dance of Fiesta” for its official Fiesta Poster for 2007. Not long after, I began to become known for figurative works and imagined landscapes, employing a process I devised using metal leaf, oil, and mixed media. My paintings often reflect upon the sublime and the expressive beauty of the human figure. My work came to the attention of Laura Rathe, where my work was represented in Houston. Identified as a “contemporary Luminist” in Wikipedia, my work is in private and corporate collections in 34 States and overseas. I have exhibited internationally, and have been published in art books, and magazines, such as Art in America, American Art Collector, Fine Art Connoisseur, The Huffington Post, Encaustic Art, Professional Artist, the International Drawing Annual, and The Artists. I am a frequent guest curator for Poets Artists magazine. A finalist for the 2015 Hunting Art Prize, I am currently represented by AnArte Gallery in San Antonio, Texas.

We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
This is a big question. Honestly, I don’t really question why I make art. I suppose I make it because I have to. I am not particularly interested in specific “narrative” in my work (although I enjoy great narrative art); rather, I prefer to make evocative work that will hopefully spark questions within the viewer–generating some kind of emotional response. While I appreciate intellectual stimulation, my work is not really about that. I hope to tap into areas of feeling…. more visceral concerns and impressions.

I like to consider matters that go beyond our understanding of this physical realm. First, I am equally interested in abstraction and figuration, so I do not fight it. It is simply how my brain is wired. Most of my “abstractions”, are only partially abstract, in that they refer to something real or that could be real. I like to create the “idea” of a place, whether steeped in reference to landscape, or to celestial forms. As I paint these, I am transported to another realm in my mind. Because they are mostly from my imagination, I just allude to the notion of some environment that may allow the viewer to bring up a memory of someplace they have been, or would like to be. They have a vague recollection, but the place is usually not literal. The ethereal properties of light suggest a source that can be otherworldly. Light has the ability to reveal…and the capacity to blind. Is it the sun? Is it from within? Is it beyond? I leave that for the viewer to decide. By creating voids and vaporous depictions, I increase the likelihood the viewer will complete the picture for themselves. In synthesizing the figure into some of these works, I engage my passion for painting the figure…but, I also believe that because we are humans, we relate to the figure.

If I disguise features, or obscure identity, I allow the form to become more universal. In doing this, I hope the viewer can relate to the figure and imagine themselves in such a setting. Most of the work I create have some unconscious, spiritual component to them. The older I have gotten, the more I have come to believe that everything in the universe is connected. I can barely begin to fathom the great depths of the mysteries the cosmos offers, yet we are a part of it. I believe we are more than this physical “shell” that is our corporeal body. The idea of a “one-ness” between humankind and the universe has become something of a fascination for me. I do not try to supply any answers to life’s big questions with my work…I simply try to visually express some of my thoughts and feelings to help feed that “yearning” that we have, as humans, to know that we are not alone in this vast plane of existence.

What do you think it takes to be successful as an artist?
I suppose “success” is different for everyone. As an artist, for me, it is being able to wake up each morning, head out to my studio, and know that I actually get to make a living doing what I enjoy doing more than anything else–something I enjoy so much, I would do it even if I never made another dime at it. As for those essential “characteristics”? I believe there is no substitute for time spent in the studio working–gaining “brush mileage”. Some artists are in love with the notion of “being an artist”.

They dress the part, attend the shows, pat each other on the back, but they are unwilling to put in the work to succeed. They should read, look at lots of art in the flesh, take classes and or workshops to hone their skills. I think if you lack something, you should go out and get it. I believe it is also wise to develop a recognizable manner that distinguishes your work from everyone else’s. It is important to recognize opportunities when they present themselves, and then have the courage to step through that door when it opens. Rather than waiting for “inspiration”, aspire to inspire others.

Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
I am currently represented by AnArte Gallery in San Antonio, Texas. My next exhibition is in Ireland, where I was invited to participate in an international group exhibition, scheduled to open in early June. My next solo exhibition will be in December, 2019, at AnArte Gallery. Currently, I have curated an international exhibition of outstanding figurative paintings called, “The Human Condition”, on display until November 30th at AnArte Gallery. Ten of the 12 artists are women, hailing from China, Poland, Ireland, Spain, California, Ohio, Illinois, Connecticut, and Texas.

Contact Info:

• Address: Steven DaLuz Studio 925 W Russell Place San Antonio, TX 78212
• Website: www.stevendaluz.com
• Phone: 2103267196
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevendaluz1
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steven.daluz1
• Other: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_DaLuz

Image Credit:
Steven DaLuz

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