Vincent Cruz is a nutty yet sensitive young artist who possesses a remarkable memory, a strange sense of humour and a passion for things related to natural and ancient history and mythology. His work consists of representations of mythological characters and surprisingly tender and insightful portraits, mostly of women. Lately, he has been working on a series of semi-autobiographical paintings, which are parodies of popular pop culture icons, like Grand Theft Auto. He studied at Sheridan College and at the Central Technical School Art Programs. His work was recently exhibited in AWOL Gallery’s annual Square Foot Exhibition. He is diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, one of several autism spectrum disorders.
Why do you paint?I’ve always been fascinated by painting. I like to express ideas through images.
How do you choose a subject?
I want to create a hybrid culture made up of bits and pieces of different cultures. I’m fascinated by gods from different cultures and I bring them together to create a multicultural pantheon. On a different level, these gods also represent pieces of my personality and my struggles—a need to bring control in an uncontrollable universe.
In my portraits, I bring together different ideas of aesthetic beauty, held together by a faint resemblance to someone who I feel strongly for.
What ideas would you like to explore in the future?
I’ve tried one or two surrealistic pieces—pieces that bring together random and non-sensical images that appear spontaneaously in my head. My paintings really express where I am in life, so, we’ll see.