Though I'm originally from Tennessee, my true home is still to be determined. I was born in Canada and raised in the States, but my new studio has now crossed the globe to Sweden. It's a sweet view of the world from over here, and I've only just started painting my take of it.

Process

I often take old paintings, cut them into pieces, and collage them onto new canvases to add a textured, fractured effect. It's not just a mix of media, but of emotions that come through in the art. Flowers and monstrous teeth on a single canvas convey a real world balance of good and evil. The creative synthesis of materials and visions give my paintings an authenticity lacking in less provocative works. Just as my individual paintings are collages, so are my art shows, which are often held in tandem with live music. Musicians and labels have taken notice and have commissioned pieces to be used as cover art on their albums

Subjects

Every subject is fully realized, be it ex-loves, musical artists, or breast implants, the art is an experience. The images in my work are bold and fragmented, perfectly suited for the chaos of life.

Yet, nothing seems forced, because I've always said that it just has to happen organically.

Past

For the past ten years, I lived in Southern California where my multimedia paintings sometimes incorporating skate decks and surfboards reflected the Venice Beach environment in which they were created. Many of my pieces created in SoCal were musically influenced in some way by legends like Yellowman, Marley, and Sublime. I still use the same methods and madness in my work, I just have a new backdrop for inspiration.

I left Southern California and moved to Sweden to work in a more secluded environment. Why did I leave it all behind? An artist needs a place as the backdrop for his inspiration, and I feel it's healthy to change surroundings when they get a bit old. So, new visions and artistic approaches are occurring like mad throughout my studies in Sweden. It's a magnificent new world to experience. And while my style is distinctly Herciuk, that will never change, the new sights are expanding my entire creative process.

Present

I reside in Florida and work on special commission pieces ranging in subject matter, size and style.

/ Jimmy Herciuk