#Patrick art of weird professional
#Patrick art of weird free

But it's my responsibility to understand what's going on around me. It sucks to see what they're going through but I don't take it personally because I have never experienced disrespect or racism in any sense or form to my face here.

When it comes to my grandmother who owns her home, we understand that if she holds on to it for a little while it can benefit her.īut also I see the pain and confusion in people's eyes. My family owns property in East New York, and we have a tight-knit structure. And I think as an artist I just want to capture your surroundings and embody what you're experiencing in a daily basis.ĭo you take gentrification personally? I don't take it personally, I wouldn't say that. I don't want to directly sit here and make bold statements about how this was done and why, but I see it. They may be able to enjoy it at first, but the long term plan is to get them out of there and jack up the rents. But the downsides are it's not designed in a way that's going to benefit the people that are there. Who doesn't love coffee shops and more restaurants and more options? When there's an interest in the area, obviously developers will come in and make it feel more comfortable for new businesses. All the artists used to live in Williamsburg, then Bushwick, and now they're in East NY. Those same people who we'd call gentrifiers are eventually going to get pushed out of the area as well. They're for the most part artistic people in the same situation as me who can't afford to be in pricier neighborhoods. The type of people that are moving into the area are people that I can really hang with. You're definitely seeing people that wouldn't have been there ten years ago. Growing up in such a diverse neighborhood, I'm all for additional diversity. You've said before that you're witnessing both positive and negative changes in East New York.

#Patrick art of weird professional

Later that day a young lady from Queens came over to buy my piece, and that was the start of my professional art career. At the same moment I was pulled over by the police because I was on my phone. Then, the day I left my job, by coincidence, I got a phone call from someone who saw my work online and wanted to buy a painting. From there, I had a ton of fun doing this, and I continued to draw and paint. I posted a picture to Instagram saying 'Here's my first painting,' and people really reacted to it.

I don' really know what triggered me to go to the art store one day, but I picked up a really small canvas and some basic supplies. But it dove me to find new ways to easy my mind. What motivated you to become a painter? I was doing financial advising for Chase, and I hated every moment of it, to be honest. De Blasio has an extensive plan for East New York specifically, and it consists of rezoning and allowing for taller buildings to built. But when you get into the dynamics and who can afford the buildings, it really isn't affordable for anyone here. A few blocks away from where I live they've put up maybe in the last year maybe 8 or 9 quote-unquote affordable housing buildings. East New York has been known for a long time for being one of the more dangerous parts of Brooklyn-it just wasn’t always a pretty place. I want to make a statement, but I’m also not a politician or an activist. My artwork is really, really abstract, but it's directly inspired by what I see. Deconstruction came from that process, and also my whole idea of the long term plan that allowed this to happen-one of breaking down the community. I’m starting to see the historical buildings being broken down and demolished, the community parks being taken away from people, and so many shiny new buildings being put up. How did you come to label your new show Deconstruction? I live in East New York and I see what's happening.

Eugene took a break from finishing last-minute tasks at the gallery to speak about his process and East New York's tenuous future. All told, 15 pieces will be on display, including large-sized canvas paintings, sculpture, and smaller drawings.

#Patrick art of weird free

On Thursday, Eugene's first solo exhibition, Deconstruction, opens at Sunset Park's Brooklyn Arts Fellowship with a reception that includes music, free drinks, and, he hopes, reflection about what it means to create abstract art in a gentrifying neighborhood. Eugene has only been painting for four years, but speaks of his work and how it relates to the world with the confidence of a veteran.

His canvases are splattered with both havoc and joy, and some of his materials are sourced from the very construction sites fueling the area's creative destruction. The 31-year-old artist creates bright, chaotic works inspired by the rapid gentrification taking place all around him in East New York, Brooklyn. The view through Patrick Eugene's studio window keeps changing, and painting is his means of keeping up.