August 2002
Artist Profile: Painting
the colors of the Rainbow
Leon
Rainbow's artwork is among the most prominent of anything in
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Leon
Rainbow
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Trenton-not
just because of his talent, but because he works with aerosol
(spray) paints and has done murals, such as the one in the Trenton
Commons Parking Lot.
He sat down to answer some questions from the Trenton Downtowner.
Why
aerosol?
Aerosol,
because when I was a kid, I had a fascination with hip-hop and
graffiti art. I have now learned how to master my medium. Aerosol
is the liquid crack of painting. It covers easily, dries quickly,
can fill large areas in seconds, and is cheap. This allows me
to create large imaginative pieces using a large variety of colors.
Although spray paint has many misconceptions, in my eyes it is
merely a tool. Given enough space I can achieve as much detail
as I desire. Recently, I have taken this medium outside its traditional
realms by using different stencils, plastics and techniques to
create abstract art.
Where
are you from and when did you come to Trenton?
I was born in Santa Clara, California. I have been sketching since
I was four years old. I started writing graffiti in 1989 in San
Jose, Calif., and I kept on into the early 90s. My first formal
training came at the Art Institute of Philadelphia in 1996. I
came to Trenton in 1997 with new ideas and a new start. Since
this rebirth, I have made a name for myself as an artist.
Where
do you get your ideas for your works?
I get my ideas from my life, my views and my environment. Others,
it's all about technique, color, arrangement and style. Then I
take that inspiration and meld it into my artwork. I use lots
of nonsense, fun, clichés, and irony mixed into the pictures.
Art imitates life.
Are
there any other artists like you in the Trenton area?
I haven't found many graffiti artists of quality. But there are
artists who are experimenting with new styles and techniques.
For those who know me and know my art, I am, if nothing else,
hard to duplicate. But we are starting a movement of contemporary
artists. I just had a showing of collaborative pieces with pop
artist Karey Maurice. I want to work with anyone trying to do
something new. Sometimes I feel we are forgotten children in a
land of realism, landscapes, portraits, and still lifes.
What's
the low-down on the Trenton art scene?
The Trenton Art scene is subtle, like we're all hidden up in some
studio 
somewhere.
We're easy enough to find, but you have to know where to look.
There are a lot of small organizations that seem to do basically
the same things: have openings and workshops. But we are growing
and coming out, more and more. Since I have moved here, Ellarslie,
First Friday and Conduit have helped to get us out there. I think
we have achieved regional exposure and respect.
See
more of Leon at www.leonrainbow.com.
