Artist of the Month March 2011

Tony DiMauro

Astoria, NY

After moving from the suburbs of New Jersey, Tony DiMauro spent most of his childhood growing up in rural Western Pennsylvania. Dense forests, bitter gray winters and abandoned steel mills in poverty stricken towns provided the backdrop for much of his art.

Tony graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts degree in the Fine Arts and a minor in Art History in 2006. After moving to New York City and working three years as an art director for a design agency, Tony can now be found attending the School of Visual Arts for his MFA degree in illustration, taking on commissions, and showing in galleries.

How and when did you start creating art?

For as long as I can remember. It was something I always just did as a kid, and I never really stopped as an adult. I knew from very early on that I wanted to become an artist. In fact, it was never really a career choice in my mind, it was more of a mission.

What media and genres do you work in?

Mixed Media. Usually some combination of watercolor and/or acrylic.

Who or what are your influences?

Too many to mention!!

I think that growing up in rural Pennsylvania had something to do with much of the dark, gray tone of the work. The winters were especially cold and long there, and I remember many days spent roaming through bare forests checking out the landscape and scraping mud off of my boots.

As far as artists, probably the artist that is currently influencing me the most is Sam Weber. Of course, this always shifts as my work changes.

I’m also pretty inspired by music. I listen to lots of weird experimental electronic music, and I feel like that harsh industrial grit and simple structure gets into my work somehow.

"Eat Fish" - This piece was part of a series that illustrated what one should or shouldn’t do in order to prevent the onset of dementia later in life in strange or unusual ways.

“Eat Fish” Specifically demonstrates that you should eat fish, as it is rich in vitamins and minerals thought to prevent dementia. The choice to add the fish to the hair was a play on the phrase, “you are what you eat.”

Describe your creative process?

Usually I have an idea right away, and the hard part is executing in a way that matches what I see in my head, however for this particular series, sketching was a key component, and each piece went through a couple of rounds of sketches before I moved to the final.

What are you working on currently?

A number of things! Currently, I’m working on illustrating a book that documents how Caribbean religions such as Voodoo have migrated to urban regions such as New York City, and how the cultures interact with one another.

What are your near/long term goals as an artist?

Eventually, I’d like to reach into everything I possibly can in the art world. I’d like to start as an editorial illustrator, since I enjoy conceptual artwork so much, then, I’d like to move into publishing, and finally, I’d love to end up a Fine Artist or maybe even a gallery owner someday, who knows!

Where can people view/purchase your work (gallery, website, etc)?

http://www.tonydimauro.com - I update it all the time, so be sure to check back often. Also, I sell prints of anything on the site. Just contact me for info about originals.