Robbie Conal on Painting Mean Old Men

Robbie Conal is an LA based artist known for his gnarled portraits of American political figures.  Raised in Manhattan by union organizers, Robbie describes how his art evolved from “abstract, metaphorical soup,”  into the iconic pictures of human figures he’s known for today.

When asked about his unique style, Robbie explains that he simply takes whatever is bothering him about a particular person, and just jams all those bad feeling he has about them into the way he paints their face.

He goes on to explain how the current zeigeist has changed enough to where he no longer feels the need to paint ugly pictures of mean old men and that he is currently inspired by the intersection of consumer culture and politics – with a particular focus on the iconography of advertising.

[via Wooster Collective]