Visual Artist for Vol. 043: Electric Daze
LUKE PELLETIER
Los Angeles, CA
Luke Pelletier's work is worthy of several double takes. At a brief glance, it's a portrayal of American kitsch - scenes of a beach town drive-in theater, or a stylized panther posed in front of a fireworks-filled sky, or a monster truck rally. A second glance reveals a host of illicit activities in the movie audience, an insidious message in the night sky, and captions that give extra meaning to the police cars being trampled beneath the monster truck tires. Luke spent his childhood in a tourist town in North Carolina. His bold patterns and characters seem almost lifted beach bar posters and tattoo parlors. But the dark humor, the equally critical and celebratory eye he casts on society and pop culture, and the humanity he brings to difficult themes are all his own.
Luke graduated with a BFA in fine art from the School of Art Institute Chicago. He is an accomplished multi-disciplinary creator, using painting, sculpture, photography, writing, welding, music, and more to explore his ideas. You can find his art on clothing by Adidas and RVCA, notebooks, zines, and album art. He currently lives in Los Angeles, CA.