I was introduced to Adam’s work at Gallery 3 in San Francisco at his first solo exhibit, “A Fool’s Errand” in April, and was captivated by the imagery and detailed lines of his work.

A recurring theme in his paintings are churches and abandoned buildings that are being overtaken by nature. The imagery touches on the struggles of social and economic class, religion, family values and morality. The lack of human existence and a past forgotten also figure prominently into his work.

Here’s a mini-profile with Adam:

Age / Location / Art Education
27, San Francisco, Academy of Art University
Editors note: Adam should be graduating Fall ‘08 or Spring ‘09

Which artists have influenced you, and where do you get your inspiration?
I get a lot of influence from flemish baroque painters such as Jacob Jordaens, Peter Paul Reubens, and Jan Van Eyck. I’m really influenced by the compositions and try to mimic them in my own work. I get a lot of inspiration from life in general, walking through the city, people i meet, and jobs and past experiences, all inspire me to create.

Can you explain some of the common themes in your work and what it represents?
Some of the common themes in my work have to deal with a basic idea of man vs. nature, nature taking back, overpopulation, the expansion of huge housing developments continuously plaguing my home town (San Fernando Valley), religion, morality, and the idea of the “american dream” being unattainable.

What goes on in a normal day for you?
A normal day for me would start with me very slowly getting out of bed, trying to make it to class, if I really have to, then spending the rest of my day and most of my night at White Walls upstairs painting (Justin and Andres have been kind enough to let me make a mess up there for the mean time). I love to walk around the neighborhood, and over the years I’ve got to know most of the TL regulars, so it’s a weird, yet comforting feel that I’ve never had before.
Editors note: The TL is the Tenderloin

What are your interests outside of art?
I love to travel and hope to have the opportunity to see the world, it really puts life in perspective for me.

Which contemporary artists are you digging?
There are soooo many artists right now that I really respect and love. Andrew Schoultz is a huge influence, obviously. Richard Colman, Mel Kadel and Travis Millard are awesome, Kill Pixie, Alvin Gregorio, Henry Lewis, Mike Davis, Paul Chatem, Mike Maxwell,… man i can go on for days…

What are you working on now? Any shows coming up?
I’m currently staying busy painting, going on with the same focus but trying to allow myself to get a little more personal with my work. I’ve got a group show coming up at Gallery1988 opening June 20th, and a group show in Monterey through The Shooting Gallery, for the New Brow movie screening opening June 27th.

To see more of Adam’s work check out his flickr stream.