Prologue
“To send light into the darkness of men’s hearts—such is the duty of the artist.” —Robert Schumann
Hello, everyone, and thank you for stopping by my website. My name is Slayde and I am a self-taught artist turned pop artist in recent years. Pen and ink pointillism on paper used to be my forte many years ago, but I had to stop as it became way too time-consuming. I did, however, update some of those older drawings in Photoshop the past few years by adding color to them, and they are currently up for sale. Photoshop has been a blessing for me, not just allowing me to create new paintings digitally, but to also scour the internet for countless images, then cutting and pasting them to create my pop art. This was how my collage, “The Beast,” was created in tandem with many of my drawings over a two-year period. More recently, new AI technology has me experimenting, bringing many old worn-out and blurred photos of iconic figures to life then incorporating them also into Photoshop. Other than “The Beast,” many of my images you see on my website can sometimes be a mixture of different mediums and styles, as I don’t like to draw myself into one corner. Injecting my politically incorrect opinions, off-beat humor, cynical mindset, and things I love to hate into my work is also a big part of my creations, most notably inside “The Beast.” Jerry Seinfeld summed it up best for me on Jimmy Fallon one night when he said, “I am a very happy person, hating everything throughout my entire life. . . . And then I’m going to complain about it, which is something I do enjoy. I love complaining, that’s what I like. I love complaining, my entire act is me complaining.” It is not my entire act, but it is a big part of my personality. One which not only comes out verbally, but also digitally and on paper. They say great minds think alike, and I love that Jerry loves to hate and complain as much as I do.
While trying to figure out what to write on my “About Me” page, one article said I’m supposed to help solve a problem for you the buyer, what they call the “Pain Point.” Which basically means, figure out what annoys your potential buyer, what causes a problem for them, then offer a solution to that problem. I don’t believe this to be true when it comes to art. When hanging something on your wall, art is a totally subjective purchase. If an image you see, makes you feel good, one you can live with every day and can’t wait to show it off to family and friends, then that leaves me out of the equation. You don’t need me hanging around for that. With that being said, what I can promise you is that, with any piece you purchase, you will be getting top-quality printing on top-quality paper, canvas, and metal by the best in the business, Powerhouse Arts in Brooklyn, and top-quality framing, as well, if your piece calls for it. I am also with you every step of the way once you purchase something, giving you top-quality customer service, even if that means picking up the phone to call you if something is not right with your order or if you have any questions.
Since I’ve had a pretty nutty, one-of-a-kind life, I’ll rattle off a few other things I’ve done throughout my journey, for which, should we ever meet, I’ll gladly tell you the back stories as to how many of these crazy things happened to me. And what it was like for a semi-juvenile delinquent, athletic, and creative kid with very bad grades growing up in the 60s and 70s in the beautiful and affluent suburb of Scarsdale, New York, about 30 miles outside of Manhattan. How at age 11 in 1969, I was able to land a co-starring role in a made-for-television movie opposite Fran Allison of the Kukla, Fran and Ollie television series. How I was able to smoke and drink in my favorite Chinese restaurant and bar at the age of 14. How and who I first fell in love with during the early 1970s glitter rock-n-roll scene, dressing the part many times by wearing my pink velvet bell-bottom pants with high heals all throughout my junior and senior years. How I got kicked out of college, Fashion Institute of Technology, after two years, suffering with panic disorder and very bad grades along the way. How I was invited to have lunch with my hero, Andy Warhol, at the Factory in 1978. How I wound up designing t-shirts for Keith Richards for the 1981-1982 Rolling Stones tours, which prompted me to start a t-shirt business of my own in my parent’s garage, which eventually blossomed beyond my wildest dreams. How right after 9/11, having lost my t-shirt business, seventeen years later, I wound up on a beachfront estate in Hawaii, working for an affluent family as their property manager, concierge, and personal chef, despite the fact that I had no experience at all doing this type of work.
I’m just hoping now in my mid 60’s, while so many are looking forward to retirement, the nuttiness along with many great surprises continue for me at full-speed ahead.