Today we’d like to introduce you to Devin Lovett
Hi devin, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started my artistic pursuits as a hobby. I had a very scary run in with heart health and my doctor told me I was a bit too stressed so I sought out art as a stress reliever. But then I got addicted to the world of artistic expression, art history, etcetera. Because I’m not formally trained I think I ran into a few accessibility roadblocks, but my focus was always on the artistic process and I think that focus and development is what’s pushed me and what people recognize when they see my work.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Some of the bumpier aspects of my art career have been (in my opinion) exposure. Not to say that exposure is something that you can’t make for yourself, but the perks of a formal art education are the connections that you make through that. So to build these connections I had to branch out in my artistic practice. This included open art calls, commissions, exhibitions-these are all things that artists normally do, but I had to do them on a smaller scale and often for less money then my art may be valued. I don’t regret these experiences one bit, but it took a lot more involvement then I think it would take someone with an art degree.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
So I am a contemporary artist who specializes in oil painting. My focus is and has always been the human figure. My earlier work was more expressive and my understanding of color was on the bolder side. The more I work the closer I get to traditional style. I’m always trying to find that sweet spot between realistic and impressionistic. Many people know my work for its bold depiction of black skin tones. I pair that with the stark white background of the canvas to really add depth to the form. I think of it as a reverse of chiaroscuro in that instead of a dark background with light emerging from it, we have a white background with deep rich hues. My current series uses some of these techniques but with a deeper lean into a baroque-esque style. This style is helping me build a better narrative in my work. My most recent series is almost like an open diary on America’s social and political climate. I’ve been pairing my artwork with statements and sources about socio political subjects in the mainstream. Things like climate change, the presidency, reproductive rights. COming from the south you get a lot of…let’s say “unpopular” opinions on these subjects and I wanted to challenge these often misogynist or uneducated takes with factual sources.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
One of my fondest childhood memories was a very specific trip to the fair that me and my family took. I can’t describe it, but it’s one of the first times where a crowd of people felt like a literal sea lol. Sounds weird, but the whole thing felt kind of ethereal. It makes me wonder if that’s where my obsession with the human form comes from.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://pseudstudios.com/
- Instagram: devorwhatever
