Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryan Paredes.
Hi Bryan, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started back in 2020 as a professional painter/artist. I have always been into the arts; as a kid, I did a lot of drawing. I have been into film for most of my life and even went to high school and college for it. It was a complete waste of time as the institutions don’t teach you the art side but the economic side. When COVID hit, I pretty much flunked out from college, but it was more of a relief and inspiration I needed. I took an avant-garde cinema class that opened my eyes to the understanding of the art world. Since everything was closed and I couldn’t really make films out of a whim, I decided to pick up art supplies and begin my journey. I dream a lot when I sleep, and see so many film images. I felt I was ready to take this journey and create something that could satisfy me, and that’s when I practically started painting a day to learn the process and get used to the techniques quickly. I even got books by artists and just read through them and fully indulged in my new path of painting. I currently work at a private studio as an assistant/apprenticeship under the artist. Through him, I’ve learned the business side of it and its cruel realities. It’s good because I know what’s happening behind the scenes. It makes my path more accessible to guide myself.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
As of now, being an artist, no. It’s never easy, and it will always get challenging. There are a lot of things that come with it, especially the politics of the art world. Currently, I live in Orlando, FL. People come and go, but realistically, the “mainstream” art scene, so to speak, is very much a scholar-like troupe of people. Unsurprisingly, such a group would try to ostracize those who aren’t in the academic groups or classes. You would also have to find no place to do a solo show, which is virtually impossible. Even if you do it at a local bar or coffee shop, you need to have entertainment, and that just completely distracts from people taking in your art; after a while, this becomes useless for yourself and purely out of profit for the venue. In the art scene, you sometimes have to be selfish. Sometimes, you have to be against the culture and find your path. The last thing you want is to come out of a group or be some academic darling; that is boring; it’s played out, and every artist is just a copy and paste of a cut, clean person. There needs to be an edge in the personality of an artist. Standing out is an understatement; you need to be authentic (without the exaggeration, of course), and that, to me, is the problem with the art world; there’s not enough angst, and everyone is going towards this cookie-cutting approach most likely being taught in schools to create this divide between the academics and the self-taught “street” artists.
Thanks for sharing that. Can you tell us more about your work next?
I’m shifting into contemporary art. After a while, you get bored of the styles you are starting with. I heavily illustrated film-like scenarios similar to storyboarding. It just got too much and didn’t give me any satisfaction with my work. Of course, I had to sit and learn and figure out a way to let my emotions fly on the canvas without stressing out the idea of the scene. It took a year or two to figure out these abstract ideas. Right now, people will only buy art if a certain mood/feeling can bring up towards them and their home.
I do have to express I do not care for the money side of things, but unfortunately, to keep funding myself with these expenses to keep painting, I had no choice but to figure out a way to paint how I want to and make money. I have found a middle ground by creating pieces that are exceptional to my taste. My best work is coming out of this. I’m proud of where I am now; it’s very challenging. I would lose sleep and twist and turn all night thinking about my next idea. That is an addiction to finding beauty in my pieces, and after my satisfaction runs out after a couple of days, I’m ready for the next piece. I can’t say anything that separates me from anyone. We live in a saturated environment due to social media, and we all have found little things that can make us different. It’s the mindset of endlessly thinking of what to paint and what my next move will be.
What does success mean to you?
Consistency equates to success. It’s almost like a marathon; if you don’t put the work in, you’ll fall out and never be able to continue. The art world is very saturated, and anyone can be successful with different variations of its meaning. Money, shows, content, etc., can all equate to it, but does it make you successful? Being satisfied with my work is good enough for me. If I even make one big sale, even if it’s my only big sale, then I’m okay with that, but it doesn’t fulfill me. I consider 3 or 4 works my best, but I know I can still top them by consistently going. Consistent will get you places, even if it takes a long time. Having a huge body of work is more important than how many people know who you are. Hype kills your art because it’s only in the spotlight for a second or two and caters to expectations. There’s no genuine interest through hype; in days, that wave will leave you and go on to the next. Quality and consistency add to the authenticity of your body of work. True to yourself and those who believe in you from day 1. That is a success.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.deathofcasanova.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dreamsofcasanova/
Image Credits
Brenna Douglass (personal photo), Omar Weise (other two pictures of me) Photos of the art is by me
