Proudly gay and confrontational in his art, New York painter Antonio Cruz began his career doing performance art in which he covered his partly nude body with chocolate while assaulting tourists with his voice. He expresses a similar desire to shock and at the same time seduce with his masterful figure paintings. “I like to put them in difficult poses,” he says of his models. “They trust that I’m going to find that thing that radiates within them-that beauty you’re projecting. You’re going to look good, I promise you. But you’re also going to suffer.” He relates this discomfort to the ongoing predicament of LGBTQ individual in contemporary society, in spite of the progress towards acceptance than has been made in recent years. In his work, his bold style highlights his highly staged scenarios, with many references drawn from art history. We’ll talk to him about his working methods, and the ideas behind his dramatic scenarios.

All art talks are virtual, and will be taking place via Zoom.

Art Talks are FREE to the public, but registration is required.