Coloring the World

I t’s about time Daniel Barcelles’s  voice  is  heard. After  15  years  of  perfecting  his  skills  in  the  art  and music movement  he  is  fnally  ready to shed his “starving artist” label  and fnd  prosperity  in  the  culture  that  he loves so much.

Barcelles  pulls  infuence  from  the  underground  hip-hop  and  psychedelic  rock  music  scenes,  zombie-horror  movies,  and  the  artwork  of  Salvador  Dali.  This  22  year  old  Corona  native  sculpts, draws, and paints pictures that  depict  the  culture  and  conficts  of  a  fantasy world inhabited by wild beasts,  living architecture, and lucid dreams.

While  Barcelles’s  detailed  and  absorbing  artwork  is  his  main  focus,  it’s also his love for playing music that  helps  fuel  his  life.    Transcending  the  labyrinth  of  melodic  instrumentation,  his  cerebral  guitar  playing  coincides  with  his  artwork  so  much  that  at  times  it  feels  like  they  are  both  part  of  a  parallel  universe.  This  revealing  universe  displays  the  many  facets  of  his personality.

“My art and music refect my deepest  thoughts;  thoughts  that  sometimes  are  too  intense  for  me  to  verbally  communicate. They build up  inside of  me so much that I have to release them.  “I  try  and  express  my  thoughts  on  a  blank  canvas  or  on  the  fret  board  of  my guitar.” Also using the occurrences  of  everyday  life  as  his  stimulation  Barcelles  adds  that,  “the  novels  I  read,  the movies  I watch,  the women  I meet, and  the  small  little  things  that  I encounter on a day to day basis help  play a signifcant role in what I create.”

His  artwork  and  music  isn’t  only  used as a therapeutic method to control  the demons that fll his mind. Barcelles  has  become  a  regular merchant  at  the  Venice  boardwalk,  using  its  cultured  atmosphere  and  ease  of  presentation  to expose his artwork to the world.  “I  get a lot of people coming up to me [in  Venice] asking me to explain a certain  piece. I usually try to refrain from giving  a detailed answer, I’d prefer for my art  to  not  be  plagued  with  my  thoughts.  I  want  people  to  freely  interpret  my  art. Plus I feel that art tends to be over  analyzed and some explanations are far  from an artist’s true intention.”

Barcelles’s entrepreneurship doesn’t  stop  at  the Venice  boardwalk. He  and  local  artist  Mikey  Baltiera  have  also  recently  started  an  online  gallery,  www.creativeoriginalabstract.com,  where they both have their artwork and  music  free  for  interpretation. His only  problem  is  the  apprehension  he  has  towards letting his creations go. “I feel  like  I become  too attached  to some of  my  paintings. A  sickness  comes  over  me at  their departure;  it’s almost as  if  I  lost  an  extremity. However,  I  know  in  this  current  economic  climate  that  it’s going  to become  inevitable for me  to sell  them off  if  I want  to become a  self  suffcient  and  successful  artist.”  Looking  towards  the  possibilities  of  the future he continues, “I know I will  create  art  for  the  rest of my  life. This  is  truly  only  the  beginning  for me.    I  want to color the world.” While that is  truly an ambitious endeavor, Barcelles  certainly  has  the  talent  and  artistic  vision to become this generations next  Salvador Dali.