Starsky Brines

Visu Contemporary is pleased to announce, VANISHING a solo exhibition of new paintings by widely collected artist Starsky Brines, touching on the subject of coexistence with all beings and animal species in danger of extinction. The show will benefit Defenders of Wildlife, with a portion of each sale going to the non-profit. The exhibit will be on display at the gallery from May 20th to June 17th, 2023, with an opening reception on May 20th from 6-8pm.

Inspired by Joel Sartore’s book, “Vanishing” which documents endangered species, Brines has created eleven new canvases which showcase his distinctive style, created through a raw and energetic mix of industrial paint, spray paint and grease pencil.

“I have always been an avid collector of books to feed my curiosity and love of knowledge, images and motifs. I ran into a book called, “Vanishing” by Joel Sartore many years ago. Time went by, but only in the past year I began to feel a deep connection with it. Since it is dedicated to animals and fauna, which are a major part of my pictorial approach, I decided to embark on this project of rediscovery. The search in the book aligns with my essence as an artist: moved by the animal as a metaphor. In the past I have rarely painted wild animals, yet this new body of work highlights the beauty and vulnerability of the natural world, thus serving as the framework for a rendezvous between wilderness and sublimity, with works stemming from life’s diversity. I’ve tried to catch the essence of the animal and sublime aspects. It urges us to dig into our own archetypal animal,” said Brines.

Starsky Brines held his first solo exhibition in Venezuela in 2006, and has since had solo exhibitions in Spain, Columbia, and Germany. His unique artworks are included in various organizations such as China’s National Museum in Beijing, Acarigua Art Museum in Venezuela, Burger Collection in Hong Kong, and Sanders Collection in Germany and Switzerland.

Brines was raised in the small city of Maturin in Venezuela and earned a B.A degree in Painting at Higher Education Institute for Plastic Arts Armando Reveron in Caracas. His rich color and formation was developed while working as an assistant at the studio of Jesus Raphael Soto, a worldly known kinetic artist, and was also influenced by street artists.

Brines’ work illustrates the characteristics of graffiti and primitive art, which represent the conflicts of the society he was born into; Caribbean and Latin American culture being two prevalent forces in his hometown of Caracas. Brines is historically influenced by Latin American figurative art, the German Neoexpressionism, the Italian Transavantgarde, and the COBRA group.