BIO

Self-taught American artist, Gerard Marinaccio, was always drawing as a child, blocking out the tensions in his home life and the tumultuous streets of 1970s Little Italy, NYC. He drew on anything he could get his hands on, first inspired by the shapes and colors of the stained glass windows at St. Patrick's old cathedral where he escaped for solitude.

As neighboring SoHo developed an art scene out of old factory warehouses, Marinaccio found himself captivated by the artists' freedom of expression which contradicted the culture and pressures of his Italian-American upbringing. A block from his apartment, Keith Haring was pushing the boundaries of graffiti culture into the mainstream with the opening of the Pop Shop. Young Marinaccio watched him paint regularly in admiration of his simple yet powerful depictions and their ability to push the status quo.

Recognizing Marinaccio was different from the rest of the neighborhood kids and had a talent for painting, neighbor Vincent Gallo took adolescent Marinaccio under his wing. He exposed him to actors, musicians, and artist friends including bandmate, Jean-Michel Basquiat, who would serve to influence Marinaccio’s understanding of the power of frenetic line work in the expression of chaos. Gallo brought him to art openings and galleries like Annina Nosei Gallery.

His friends and family did not understand the draw to the arts and discouraged him from pursuing a future in anything beyond blue collar work. For Marinaccio, “It was a tug of war between my inner passion and my reality. I ended up getting a job, I stopped making art and drowned my dreams in alcohol until my mid 20s when I met sculptor Marisol Escobar.” Escobar pushed Marinaccio to start creating again, to explore larger formats and share his work with others. At the age of 27, Marinaccio held his first public exhibition showcasing 12 pieces reflecting the pain and beauty of his struggle to sobriety. The show quickly sold out, giving him the confidence he needed to pursue his passion.

Marinaccio has continued to show his work in group shows and private exhibitions and curates works for private collectors. While Marinaccio has several styles, his most recognizable is often referred to as “modern-day hieroglyphs.” The chaotic iconography represents struggle and the beauty that grows from within. According to the artist, “All of my work has deep significance, there are no mistakes and lines out of place. Everything I do has an intentional meaning and I hope those who see my work get lost in it as I do."