Stephen Palladino | THISTIME magazine | CASIO

American cartoon-like characters fill his work, and his brushstrokes carry the spirit of the graffiti that defines New York’s cityscape. Using brush pens, ink, airbrush, digital tablets, and many other tools with a freedom that resists fixed conventions, Stephen Palladino rapidly brings an overflowing stream of ideas to life on the canvas. For Palladino, drawing is a form of communication that comes more naturally than speaking or writing. A true artist and a New York native, Palladino spoke with us about the toughness required to live in New York, a city shaped by countless artists.

―― Could you tell us about your work?

My work centers on drawing, but I work across many different areas. In addition to my work as an artist, I’m involved in commercial projects, consulting, design, and set design for Hollywood films and music videos. Because of that, I commute between Los Angeles or Florida.
I often feel as if several different artists coexist within me, and with each project I immerse myself completely in that particular world. Recently I’ve also been working on what I might call impossible schemes, things that are difficult even for me to explain. For example, I’ve quietly started experimenting with live streaming. I enjoy challenging myself with things that are new to me, even things that make me feel a little uncomfortable at first.

―― You mentioned ideas that make you feel a little uncomfortable.
Could you tell us about one of them?

I have continued to draw and paint for years, and over time I have developed my own visual language made up of a particular style, characters, and a distinct world. Everything in my work comes from imagination. I do not look for reference materials or make plans in advance. What matters most to me is what emerges from within. Recently, however, I have begun moving toward a more planned approach to my art. At a certain point I realized that the number of stories a person can tell in life is limited, and must be told. After losing my mother recently, I began asking myself what meaning my work holds and what it is that I want to express. Now I find myself imagining paintings that can tell my story in a deeper way. The works I have created so far are also important to me because they come from who I am. Going forward, however, I want to create pieces that symbolize something deeply personal to me. It is a little frightening, but that is exactly why I feel it is worth pursuing.

―― Could you tell us about when you first started drawing?

When I was three or four years old, my mother saw a drawing I had made and she was scared. When you give a child a piece of paper, it usually turns into scribbles. But my drawing was very specific, She even wondered if someone might have passed drawings through the window while I was alone in my room. When I told her I had drawn it myself, she asked me to prove it because she did not believe me. As I sat next to her and drew, I could not understand why she was so surprised. For me it felt as natural as speaking. When my father came home, my mother excitedly showed him what I had done. My father was an old-fashioned car enthusiast with tattoos, the kind of man who could build anything with his hands. He was shocked and thrilled. He would always ask me, “What did you trace ?” The way he said it sounded like he was checking whether I was telling the truth. All I could say was that I had not copied anything. I was simply drawing.

―― We’ve heard your father had a strong influence on you.

My father was a carpenter, and he always had a pencil tucked behind his ear. He could draw very quickly. When I was a child, I often went with him to construction sites. In a way, he was an artist who worked with wood. He would quickly draw Popeye on the drywall of a wall and then cut it out with a knife. Along the lower part of the wall you could see the Popeye drawings and sketches I had made as a child. My father was an unconventional man. He was the kind of person who would get on a plane with no luggage or anything. He was a fierce collector of old Americana and turned our home into a 1950’s diner. He had incredible drive, was fearless, and very imaginative. Out of anyone I have ever known, he was the most artistic. Inside me still lives his passion and creativity around with that old-school sensibility. Now that both of my parents have passed away, I feel a responsibility to carry on their words and the way they saw the world. It is painful in some ways, but that pain is the price of love and also a way of honoring them. For me, art has become a way of working through life’s experiences and of remembering and honoring them. I have grown a little tired of trying to explain things with words, but when I draw, I can express them. Portraying this life through imagery, almost like a film, feels beautiful to me. It also feels like a kind of therapy that releases the weight of the past and helps me move forward into the future.

―― How did New York’s graffiti culture influence you?

I used to go to a small art school when I was around twelve. At the time, I felt a little embarrassed and self-conscious about being artistic. Graffiti felt like the most exciting thing I was seeing around me then. As a kid while tagging along with my father on his jobs around the city, I would see things like the huge portrait of Fat Joe’s album cover painted by Tats Cru, the Bronx-based graffiti collective. Seeing work like that had a big impact on me. My father disliked graffiti and would scold me if I took spray cans out with me, but at the same time he also seemed impressed by it. He was curious how someone could create a portrait using only spray paint. I would not call myself a graffiti writer. I have done tags before, but I was never dedicated in leaving my mark in that way. I realized that I was more interested in character work, airbrushing, and painting. After that I began painting signs and learning different skills like airbrushing and sculpture. I work with everything from traditional oil and acrylic paint to spray paint and digital work. Talent is something you are born with, but skills are something you earn through effort.

―― Is there a consistent message or theme in your work?

My work reflects whatever I am feeling at the time. Sometimes I feel that the darker it is, the better. Other times I mix pain with humor. I am conscious of the dual nature of life, and of the idea that the more happiness there is, the greater the price of pain that must be paid. When my father was bedridden, he would look at some of my early canvas paintings and give all kinds of opinions. He would tell me to make them more Italian, since my family roots are in Sicily, and to give the figure a cigarette. Even now, when I am drawing, I sometimes hear his voice. He would always tell me to just go for it. The expressions that come to me most easily are the ones that appear without thinking, which often end up being the ones people respond to the most. I think it is because those expressions carry a kind of pure energy and emotional force.

―― What do you love about New York, and what about it energizes you?

I think what makes New York special is its individualism. People expressing their style and uniqueness. They say New York is the center of the world, and for me, being born here is a real blessing. With a million people, there are a million different stories. The pace of this city suits me perfectly. Instead of overwhelming me, it gives me a constant sense of inspiration and energy.

―― What does toughness mean to you?

I think toughness is the strength to face the difficulties of life. Life can be harsh, and sometimes it can even feel impossible. There have been many moments when I felt like giving up. But I have come to feel that those moments when you want to throw it all away are actually signs that you are getting closer to something meaningful, something that can’t be easily obtained. You push through that limit and keep moving forward. To me, toughness is about testing your spirit and your endurance, and it is a sign that you are moving toward something beyond those challenges.

Profile.

Stephen Palladino

Born in Bronx, New York, USA, in 1986. Palladino grew up surrounded by art and illustration from an early age, under his father’s influence. His work draws from the anime he watched as a child and the graffiti of his hometown, the Bronx. His work features abstract characters reminiscent of cartoons, along with brushstrokes and colors influenced by graffiti. He works across a range of media, including brush pens, ink, and airbrush.

Instagram. @stephenpalladino