Anthony Medrano’s work is an exploration of emotional highs, lows, and thought experiments. Drawing inspiration from growing up on the West Side of Chicago with immigrant parents and then later traveling the world as a tattoo artist, the insight he’s gained has influenced his art’s perspective. His pieces are an amalgamation of raw imagery rooted in street culture and concepts grounded in forward-thinking, psychological ideas.
A through line in Medrano’s art is juxtaposition. Light and dark, opposing textures, hard and soft concepts – the themes and composition in each piece involve contradictions and evoke personal reflection.
Medrano’s toolbox is reminiscent of a core value of his, accessibility; relying heavily on art supplies such as spray paint, pencils, pens, and markers. He uses these mediums to tell stories and create nostalgic, patinaed, aged effects on many of his pieces. His technique is layered and part of the storytelling as well: the sense of aging is emblematic of both endurance and beauty, an ode to time and evolution.
Medrano’s intention is to speak to everyone through his work, not just those who are familiar with fine art. He hopes his pieces serve as a reminder that no one is immune to the human experience. We are all more similar than we are different; his work connects the dots between us.
Medrano lives and works primarily in Chicago, with time spent in Los Angeles and New York.
