Artist Biography

Erwin Skip Brea (b. Bronx, New York) is a New Media Artist who holds a BA in Studio Art and Literature from DePauw University. ...His paintings, animations, and installations examine the history of representation by transforming narratives and mediums through the use of contemporary media and software. Brea is a distinguished recipient of numerous prizes and awards, his engagement and love for art history has led to several solo exhibitions across the United States. In 2018 Brea won the Dean Collection Start Up Grant funded by Swizz Beatz & Alicia Keys which lead to international opportunities. During his time at Florida State he was awarded Digital Media Awards from 2017-9, and the 2019 Honors and Scholars Excellence Award in the Visual Arts.

Artist Statement

My works examine the entanglements that make up our visual culture, language, and history. By using a combination of digital illustration and painting tools, I weave together historical paintings that precede copyright with pieces of contemporary information to create a new unified image. ... At first, the spatial cohesion maintains an illusion of conventional space, yet it is intended to break apart under scrutiny. Many of the paintings I draw from, the figures of color are experiencing an unfortunate event or are positioned as the undermined figure in the painting. Rather than simply exposing their position, I deconstruct painting’s power structure with digital tools, allowing the medium and the subject to exist in a new light. My multi ethnic background has opened my eyes to a diverse range of personal experiences, hence how I build up these paintings that come from different points of view.