
Esao Andrews makes art that feels like it resides in a type of middle earth, between the world we all live in and the darker half of our collective unconscious. He paints headless characters & dino-portraits, and focus’ on the emotion lingering in the air, as opposed to the graphically hyper-intensified gore of an explicit revelation.
Esao lives and works in NYC these days, a transplant from Arizona, who fills his work with the possibility of a lot more, just by leaving it up to our imagination. Facial features muddled, shapes and light blurred, and cleverly demarcated shadows all aid in the still ambiance of the scenes and fictional pastures he dreams up.
Esao added to his resume by handling Circa Survive’s latest album cover (as well as a few of their posters) and was mentioned by fellow New York artist, Tara McPherson (in her interview with IPMM) as someone people should be on the look out for. He definitely has the talent, but I’m not sure that’s what sets him apart from the rest. It’s the thought behind what he doesn’t include in his paintings that blows our mind, latent yet potent in its surreal and obstructed decor. As fans of his work for a while now, IPMM is thrilled to have been able to catch up with him. He allows the viewer become an integral part of the painting by leaving certain details unclear, and thus accepts the role of provocateur – and he does it extremely well.
Ahead, IPMM asks about continuity in the work, his use of oil-based paints, and the possibility of being creeped-out in a good way.
EL: Where are you from? How’d you get into art?
EA: I’m from East Mesa, Arizona. I’ve always been into making things since I can remember. I believe my creative roots stem from my dad being a school teacher which I had access to countless fairytale anthologies, picture encyclopedias, animal biology books, various craft curriculums, you name it…. also a shed full of craft supplies. My mom was obsessed with collecting cartoons and B horror movies. My older brother was into drawing animals when he was young, I looked up to that.
EL: Your work is dark and surreal, and has been described as such by many. Is there a narrative tied together throughout your work, or are these images islands unto themselves?
EA: For the most part I imagine the subjects and even the landscapes as being silent portraits. That quiet moodiness is in all of my work. I try to have a handful of approaches when interpreting how a figure, tree, or whatnot is drawn. So they are only loosely based in the same surreal world. ‘Islands’ is a good analogy.
EL: Is it possible to be creeped out in a good way?
EA: People enjoy the suspense of a scary movie or book, so definitely. To have something a bit unsettling but not full of shock and fright makes the viewer look inward about why they feel disturbed, making up their own form of mental suspense.
EL: What inspired you to move from the southwest to New York? How has that relocation process affected your art? Or has it affected it at all?
EA: A recruiter from the School of Visual Arts came to my high school and that’s how the idea came about. SVA was known for its illustration program. It was the only school I applied to. I had never been to the East Coast at the time and had no family or friends close by. Other students were in similar situations so the transition seemed natural. There was a comedy called “Dream On” in the 90’s on HBO and everyday I had that theme song stuck in my head while walking the streets my first year here. I love NYC. As for it affecting my artwork its hard to say since I was just 18, but looking at my high school work I think my spirit is still the same.
Whether you’re a classroom teacher teaching art for the first time or an art teacher who could use a simple refresher, check...
March 27, 2023We love receiving artwork from our Shared Walls partners across the city, showing us what they’re up...
March 26, 2023At IPaintMyMind, we are super passionate about screen prints. When our founder, Evan La Ruffa, first started collecting art, he couldn’t...
March 24, 2023