Israel Acosta: An Artist for our Time

Recently I had the privilege to speak with Israel Acosta, one of the most fascinating and talented Hispanic artists working today. From pop imagery to works with Catholic references, his work is provocative and beautiful in equal measures.

What follows is our conversation.

Tell us about your personal and educational background. What do you like to capture in your artwork?

I am a self-taught contemporary artist. I was born in 1986 in Puerto Rico, from Dominican parents, and raised in New York. In my artwork I like to address religion and socioeconomic disadvantage in association with mass consumerism, using both indirect and familiar eye-catching symbols that make the viewer pause and contemplate the narrative.

Growing up, I saw firsthand the challenges minorities face. In my artwork, I often capture the dream that working hard, being ambitious and taking odd jobs is a concerted effort to better provide for future generations. I am interested in this system of ideology, and I paint it into the canvas in the form of logos such as GE, Tiffany and Saint Laurent amongst other pop culture references. The idea that the ownership of a luxury brand item is an indication of accomplishment for someone in the working class is a repeated theme throughout my diverse body of work.

Why painting?

Painting is the universal language that captures, history, religion, tragedy, love and more. Art has the capacity to capture our emotions and feelings just by observing it. Creating artwork or just viewing it is a form of meditation that can transport a person to any time in history to witness suffering and sacrifices, and especially, to learn from religion.

 

What inspires you?

Life…experiences of life. All my artwork needs to translate a story of a life experience. I often try to translate my understanding of a biblical scripture so that it makes sense to the everyday person. I used the image of Popeye staring at a woman with one eye closed to capture “If thy right eye sin, pluck it”. In modern-day life, we don’t have to pluck out our right eye, but we can remove temptation from our eyesight. An example would be images seen on Instagram that lead to temptation.

I see there are some references to God and Catholicism…

Yes. It prompts me to depict the battle between righteousness and sin while acknowledging that humans often lose their intention or purpose in life because of greed and temptations. I create all this conceptual messaging and then pair it with a palette of bright colors that align with my Hispanic roots. Growing up it was a big part of my Dominican culture. My last Solo Exhibition was named Si Dios Quiere (God Willing). It’s a phase we often used. Going to church with my grandmother at a very young age and staring at the church painting and windows of the crucifixion was something that I was always interested in, learning more and the meaning of ALL of it!

What other artists do you admire? Do you take inspiration from them?

Cy Twombly, Caravaggio, Picasso, George Condo, Basquiat, Andy Warhol, Robert Motherwell, Van Gogh and Paul Gaugin. I take inspiration from their artwork but mostly from their personalities; what they stood up for and their passion for creating masterpieces. I would say I admire the powerful meaning of Cy Twombly’s artwork and the simplified techniques; Paul Gaugin, most of his masterworks and his ability to work in finance but continue to pursue his art passion. I think most people give up on their dream or passion. I mean Vincent Van Gogh NEVER sold an artwork while he was living and was considered insane, but he knew his artwork would make a difference. It’s something in us, artists who know that we are creating works that may not possibly be understood by our current era. But we’re translating the images and words spoken to us by God/Universe with brushes and paint onto canvas.

 What is the process (technically, emotionally, logistically) that goes into making a piece?

I first take time to meditate. I reflect on my life experiences (from dark moments to enlightenment) and my studies of spirituality and try to figure a way to translate the messages, which are deeply tied to my creative practice. My work conveys a universal depth of feeling over time. Each piece demands attention by way of passion. I like to paint quickly to try to capture as much as I can, like a performance. I think that’s the best way to capture that emotion you are feeling at that moment.

What are your goals/plans for the near future?

Right now, we are in the process of doing some international exhibitions. I am excited to do an exhibition in Dominican Republic. I also want to focus on having my artwork benefit the underprivileged.

I update my IG, izzyAcost, with all upcoming exhibitions, along with my website, https://de-israel.com/pages/exhibition