Andrew Mariano:

new orleans art

OK. My name is Andrew Mariano (Drew), I live right outside of New Orleans L.A. was born 11/75. I'm a pretty privet person - I tend to let my art speak for itself.

As for the work itself - It is never planned or done with intent to sell. though all my work is for sale - I need food.) I just take pen to paper and "zone" out into a meditative state while I just mechanically create the picture. I started doing these kinds of pictures around late 93 early 94. I have never had any art education speak of - unless you want to be anal and consider all those coloring books in pre-K formal training.

Does the frame of mind needed to make these illustrations come and go at will or just happen?

At will - thought bursts of inspiration do comes at all times. A lot of raw emotion goes into my work - (no filtration) - and I never go for a polished or uniformed look. I have tried to do pictures thought out before hand - but I lose thought and end up with one of my normal pictures (If the word normal can here be applied) I currently work in retail. (would rather not here mention the co.) I would like one day to be able to work on my art fulltime. The average pictures takes me from one sitting (rare) 6 hours or so to a week or so. Some pictures i've considered finished for 5, 6 years and then started back up on. I work w/ brushes less than 5% of the time. I just don't feel natural using them. Pen, and sometimes though rarely an airbrush. Some call my work "esoteric" or even (shudder) "religious". Call it mystical or whatever - the pictures speak for themselves (almost like a heiroglyph) (I myself, if you must know for the record am a Thelemite.)

I see the evolution of my work when I look over the slight change ups in themes and symbology over the years. I've been keeping notes for what can be called "Interactive" art. Work which can change w/ the perspectives of the viewer as they change over time and with lighting.

I have no studio - most of my work now is done sitting in my favorite clone cafe' - just sitting there inking. In the past i've just worked from my bedroom. I have no selling history.

January 30, 2001 - Nice to hear from you after almost 9 months!!!  what have you been up to these days? Drew - "Damn, that's a lot to ask... LOL, I don't stop, liven' every nano second as a life time in and of its own... + on the record I'm gonna have ta plead the fifth. Has been many life times since I've last written tom you. I've changed residences at least three times. (My short term memory not being in what can be called "peak condition" these days) -- but truly I prefer it like this. (Beats the hell outta Prozac and Serzone.) Still like the electric jellyfish -- living' / experiencing life to its fullest -- hitting both ends of the spectrum and beyond. Seeing that which cannot and will not be trapped in words or simple images.... My art is my life, my record of that (dare say a diary). Taking everything to its extreme. Though the time since our last speaking (virtually) I've been through some hard relationships ... which despite their impact upon my life -- are little compared with the loss of life I've delt with in the past. Like I've always stated - I like my art to speak for itself. If I could put into words the things I've known/ seen/ experienced.... I'd be a writer (a good one at that) - I try at times to do this -- but I tend to go back over what I've written and etemologize and treat more like a mathematical formula than a text... Just take one of my pictures -- which is "written word" in as far as it is a hieroglyph text. Just the other day -- a person looked over my work ... after some time, she looked up and made the statement = "This is like Where's Waldo on Acid" -- first real laugh/smile I've had in some time. Too bad copyright laws won't let me use the label -- for now I remain an "Outsider/ Visionary/ Gonzo/ Abstract... Artist. I am working on larger pictures these days. Large canvass acrylic pictures. I still do pen/ink which is and probably will always be my medium of choice. I'd send you some pictures right away - but they tend to reflect the camera flash too much and distort the final image. I will take a picture in daylight when I can -- though my drone/day(non-art) job vamps far more of my creating time than I like. My goal at this time is to get to the point where I can make a livin' and spend my full time on my creations -- which have yet to make themselves fully manifest on this plane. Anything you need to know -- just ask. Thanks, Later Andrew in New Orleans. Well - I've a date w/ some Sake + Turn On Tune In Drop Out Andrew Mariano"

Andrew Mariano (Drew)
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