LUIS REYES
BELOIT, WI
You may have seen Luis slinging drinks to thirsty visitors at Lucy’s #7 Burger Bar in downtown Beloit and you may have seen Luis and his artwork at the first ever DEVIATE event. If you haven’t seen Luis or his work, no worries, now’s your chance because he’s coming back a second time and bringing with him new pieces that are sure to blow your mind.
Luis uses music, cartoons and other characters in his work and makes something unique out of thrifted items. From a Notorious B.I.G. portrait made out of cassette tapes to Mario Cart, you’re sure to recognize some of the faces behind his art, but we promise you’ve never seen something quite like this before. Check it out on September 16th in downtown Beloit and do something different!
september 16th
What’s your background? How did you get into art? Give us a little history! I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago in the early 90’s. Being Hispanic, the public school system had little diversity. So, I found art to be my refuge and my voice among my peers. Cartoon, movies, and music being my comfort and major influences in my work. After high school I took courses in photography and print making at Elgin Community College. Which opened the door to a world of all kinds of paper, inks and processes.
How was your DEVIATE experience last year? Why did you want to come back again? Participating in last year's first Deviate show was quite an experience, I have never done live painting before, making art has always been something I do in my fortress of solitude. It definitely got me out of my comfort zone.
Do you plan on doing anything different this year at DEVIATE? What can we expect to see? When I heard that Deviate was coming back, I was excited to resubmit and share my new work. It’s going to be a continuation on what I started last year with a mix of older, never before seen work.
Why should people come out to DEVIATE? The best part about Deviate is the collection of artists that are brought together for one night, meeting them and making creative connections. I’m looking forward to meeting the new artists and seeing how we can expand on what we did last year.