Meet the Artists of Red Bull Curates: Canvas Cooler Orlando

"André Greppi, aka DRES13 lives and works in Orlando, Florida. Currently an art director at an Orlando advertising agency, André also freelances as a graphic artist and illustrator and is emerging as one of Orlando’s more recognizable street artists. With influences ranging from comic book illustration to graffiti and typographic design, his visual style can range from purely illustrative to a graphic blend of type elements and hand drawn illustrations."

"Brandon McLean is an Orlando based mixed media artist who creates multi-layered paintings and installation works rooted heavily in the realms of nostalgia. Much of the work uses appropriated imagery, text, logos and stories from both popular culture as well as more personal, auto-biographical sources."

"Chris 'Tobar' Rodriguez is a local Orlando multimedia artist, working with with spray paint, exacto knives, inks and print. Tobar's work is inspired by the world around him. He has been making art for 20 years, and is a co-founder of local street artist collective B-Side artists. Tobar’s past work features 'The Man in The Mask,' 'My Dexterous Shadow,' 'Unmasked' and 'Native.'

His work has been spotlighted in more than 30 different shows local, regionally and nationally. Tobar considers himself a jack of all trades, from organizing events to blogging, to working with local businesses to promote the arts."

"Atlanta born Christie Miga studied at Savannah College of Art and Design, Valencia Community College and the University of Central Florida. She has been seen creating her paintings live at Blank Space Art Lounge, The Cameo Theater, on the cover of the 2011 United Arts Annual Report and at the Orlando International Fringe Theater Festival.

Her style is free-flow abstract expressionism. She mixes and experiments with her own paints as well as incorporates different textures and even found objects, occasionally. Miga's work is created on the floor by pouring, tilting and shaking the canvas until the compositions are balanced and harmonious. Her involvement in the arts has also included spending five years as a Fringe artist, beginning in the Visual Fringe then moving to performances. In 2011, she marked the completion of her largest work to date: a 55 foot interactive mural for local internet company."

"Christopher Reason is a contemporary artist. Not new to the art world, he's a known shoe customizer under Diversitile Custom Clothing. Reason strives to do two things in his art work; entertain the crowd with witty illustrations and bright colors, and making zippers as an ongoing theme to reveal. His artwork is simple, clean and fun. Ultimately hiding a darker side to his work."

"German Lemus is an artist of strength and awareness also an inspiration to his community. Originated from Honduras, Lemus now calls Orlando home. After serving in the U.S. military, he became an art tutor in a program called 'Soldiers to Scholars' - where he fell in love with mentoring children. Lemus later enrolled in community college where he had a formal education in multimedia design and visual arts. Impressionist movement, combined it with the urban influence of his youth and furthered his technique. He has currently displayed in several local events throughout Florida as well as in fine art galleries such as City Arts Factory (Orlando, Fla.) Artopia (Miami, Fla.) the ‘More than Sunshine’ collective and other exhibits throughout Florida."

"Holly Tharp is a multimedia artist living in Winter Park. Some of her pieces are created from memories and others are created from feelings. Tharp's goal in her art is for people to connect to it on a simple level that they can relate to from an experience they may have had or past feelings. She is also the Department Chair of the Fine Arts program at Full Sail University."

"Juan Francisco Adaro, a native of Buenos Aires, began painting 20 years ago as a self-taught artist. Much of what he knows has come observing and interacting with great art.

Adaro is known for his large abstracts and life-sized portraits. He uses recycled materials and natural textures, with each approach and technique unique to the piece. Adaro's paintings and works on paper merge the worlds of art and science, depicting natural forms and biological structures in vivid color and imaginative detail.
Adaro's work has been shown extensively in group exhibitions and one man shows internationally. Adaro also describes himself as a curator, an entrepreneur, and a critical observer of the contemporary society."

"Peter Van Flores III and his luxurious hair are originally from Avenue D in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, NYC. He now resides in Orlando Florida. Born to inspiring parents, his mother was only 14 years old when she gave birth to him and his father was 16. His mother had a nice graffiti handstyle and Latina toughness and his father found himself writing on trains before following the crime side of New York’s 80’s & 90’s era. Peter used this creativity, street smarts, and inspiration to create his own style. Using a camera, a computer, markers, paint, various papers, and special glues he’s able to do some pretty urban looking things nowadays. Bong bong, that’s the origin of Peter Van Flores III and his hair."

"Peterson Guerrier grew up in Miami and attended one of the top art high schools in the country there. After graduating high school he went on to earn a Fine Arts degree from the College of Creative Studies (CCS) in Detroit, Michigan - with a minor in graphic arts. His journey then brought brought him to Orlando, where his goal is to utilize his art to evoke an emotion, a memory, or an image among those who see his pieces."

"Sean Hartman is an Orlando artist and designer. He has been showcased in a broad range of Central Florida exhibitions, collaboratives and one-man-shows. He attended California State University's Fullerton campus and is originally from Costa Mesa, California."

"Skip is an artist who creates his works utilized hand-cut stencils, spray paint and other materials that combine for very unique textures and hues. He is also a graphic artist in Orlando, and attended the University of Central Florida. His taste in the arts goes beyond visuals - as he is also a recording artist."

"Asaan 'Swamburger' Brooks is a rapper, artist, entrepreneur and tireless advocate for Orlando’s pop culture. When he's not creating amazing works of art Swamburger is busy running his record label, Second Subject Recordings, recording his own original works of music - and enjoying the creativity that bridges art and sound."

"Wolfrich is an Orlando based artist & designer/illustrator. Weird yet friendly till the end. Constantly searching for a new adventure and ways to challenge myself. Just here for the fun of it. Jazzed to have such a supportive family, friends, lovely lady and crazy little dog in my life."

"Spen 1 is a 32 year old graffiti writer, born in Queens, NY but raised in Florida. He's been drawing since he can remember, but started graffiti writing in 1996. In 2004, he linked up with a crew member of his (Mex One) and started doing Bboy jam flyers for him. As word spread of his style, he got more and more requests to do them from other promoters and naturally just became one of the most revered 'bboy jam flyer' designers. His art has taken him across the globe many times."

"Marcos Cruz migrated to the U.S. from his native Spain in 1979 and currently lives with his wife Amanda and four children in the Orlando area. He considers his experience of living in different cultures as a primary influence on his art. Marcos' works are inspired by a fascination for how things work and the patterns of everyday life. He focuses on the beauty of cultural diversity and its many accomplishments. Marcos believes that as we take part in the arts, we strengthen the bonds of culture and community. His works are collected and exhibited locally and internationally."

"Wink Styles is a graffiti artist originally from Kingman, Arizona. She is a 2012 graduate of Full Sail University."

"Andrew Spear's career started at age 5, just outside Boston in Weymouth, Massachusetts, where he would lie on his living room floor and draw on the back of Beatles albums. His love of music and coloring forced Andrew to renounce all types of sports which, living in New England, automatically put him in a class of rejects. Spear's initial visual motivation was to create images of the things he loved most — music, movies and pop culture. After moving to New York, he relentlessly pursued anything and everything that would pay him: scenic work, illustration, freelance photography, screen printing — even bartending — and completely immersed himself in the city's cultural military. Eventually, he was recruited for scenic work in sunny Orlando, Florida, where he currently resides today. Spear was a featured artist in Juxtapoz magazine and designed murals for the 2011 season of MTV's The Real World, in the Hard Rock Hotel's penthouse in Las Vegas."

"Soco Freire began her career as an artist in 1996. Born in Brazil, she was always very curious sabout the fascinating world of colors - even at an early age. Influenced by her father, Pedro Torres Martins - a graphic design artist - Soco began practicing art with her hands, sponges and texturing tools at a very early age. She developed her own style and technique, giving her the perfect tools to perform Live Painting . Soco considers the ocean a profound source of inspiration and her work has reached art lovers and private collectors from Iceland, Cayman Islands, USA and Brazil."

"Gregorii an American artist, was born in Ohio and is now residing in Central Florida. He studied fine art in public and private school, and later began working in acrylics with a desire to recreate the brilliance he discovered in digital imaging, translating it to the emotional imagery he conceptualized in his art. He began his career as a commercial lithographer and photographer, apprenticing at age 14 learning studio camera techniques and photographic development by hand. Gregorii creates vivid, flowing art with emotional and visionary themes. The convergence of art and technology is his passion. Translating human emotions using technology tools is a strong theme in his work."