Biography
Samuel E Vázquez (b. 1970, San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a contemporary visual artist. He has exhibited alongside Helen Frankenthaler, Joan Mitchell, Sam Gilliam, Sabina Klein, Sam Francis, Keith Haring, Torrick “Toxic” Ablack, and Futura 2000 among others.
While growing up in New York City, starting in 1979, Samuel became captivated by the vibrant paintings covering the subways. Over the next few years, he fully immersed himself in the city’s thriving youth culture, participating in style writing, breaking, music, and connecting with the Downtown art scene. This led Samuel to earn degrees from New York City College of Technology—CUNY and Herron School of Art and Design—Indiana University.
Vázquez was a featured artist in special programming for the Ai Weiwei: According to What? Exhibition at Newfields. His work is rooted in the New York City subway painting era of the 1970s and 80s and informed by the work of Ed Clark, Mimmo Rotella, Jacques Villeglé, Jackson Pollock, and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Artist Statement
Through the use of diverse materials and markings whose assigned structure value is direct in their purpose, Vázquez reassigns and elevates their symbolic identification to reveal often-neglected beauty. In these once throwaway materials, markings, and artifacts, Samuel finds deep reflection, indelible connection, purpose to his personal journey, community strength, and the true meaning of home.
Biographies:
Graffiti Will Take You Nowhere (pdf)
Beauty in Found Materials (pdf)
Obsessed Show Podcast:
Part 1: Early Life, New York City 70s & 80s, Indy
Part 2: (Audio) Museum Exhibition, Music, Teaching • Part 2: Video
WQRT Radio • Good Vibrations 24:
Part 1: The roots and development of the hip-hop sound
Part 2: The sounds that influenced Hip Hop’s future