Friday I’m In Love: Arturo Torres
You’ve gotta love Shea Serrano’s running mate.
I’m going to keep this week’s edition brief. I’m busy trying to figure out stuff—like my life, my career, where to hang some prints, how to return some glasses that make my head look weird, and also where to eat lunch on Monday with my guy, Jacob Hinmon. I’m not saying that this post isn’t a good one, just that I’m going to get right to the point and then let some images do most of the talking. So far, I’m not succeeding in being brief, am I? Oh well. Good intentions and all that…
It’s probably not fair that Arturo Torres’ work will always be connected to Shea Serrano, but if you’re going to be unfairly tied to someone, I can’t imagine a better partner than Shea. The two of them have delivered two of my favorite books—The Rap Year Book and Basketball (And Other Things)—of the last five years. Shea writes like almost no one else, conversational and hilarious, but somehow thought-provoking, insightful, and weird as anything I’ve ever read. No subject is too frivolous and no declaration is too grand. Maybe that’s why Arturo’s illustrations are so perfect. They’re deceptively simple—many of them are straight-ahead portraits that just keep revealing themselves over time. But Arturo can also deliver the weird in ways that feel simultaneously disarming and comfortable. Check out some of his work from B(AOT)…
I don’t have a great art vocabulary, so I struggle to explain why I love his work so much… It feels lived-in, his subjects never surprised by the absurdity of their surroundings. I’ve stared at the illustration of Kevin Love wearing a police uniform under his Cavs jersey/shorts a thousand times. And it always gets me. It’s hilarious but self-serious. It’s a little mean, but still maybe kind of sweet. I have a print of his take on the famous Dwayne Johnson Fanny Pack photo and it makes me happier than I ought to admit. My 15yo son feels the same way about his print of Arturo’s Russell Westbrook. It just seems really cool to have an Arturo Torres print hanging in a room. That sentence will never get me a gig writing art reviews for the Grey Lady, but it’s the truth—and I’ll stand by it forever.
Also, Arturo’s Twitter feed is a landslide of sweetness—he’s about to become a father and he can’t stop talking about how excited he is. His online store is closed, but he’s promised to open it up next week. When he does, go pick up a few prints, yeah? It’ll make you feel cool. Guaranteed.
Every Friday I share something I love. Usually, it’s a new infatuation. Occasionally, it’s something else. We’ll see how it goes.
