Rob Samartino
'Pillar of Salt', 2016, oil and wax on canvas, 32" x 26"
How did you get into debt?
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
'Subterraneans'. 2016, oil and wax on canvas, 32" x 26"
How does your economic reality effect your art?
I feel that I should have given up a long time ago but I paint with a compulsion which I have nurtured and reinforced over my entire life. I am psychologically dependent on making art.
'On an island in the center of Collect Pond', 2016, oil and wax on canvas
Would your work look different if you weren't in debt?:
If I had no debt I would be able to afford a studio space and I would have a lot more time to make my art. I work at my job on average fifty hours a week just to make my payments- I need overtime just to get by. My studio environment is my living environment and it is toxic. Being an art handler is physical work and it takes a toll on my body.
'Know Nothings', 2016, oil and wax on canvas, 52" x 38"
www.robertsamartino.com