BIO

Barrett Capistran is an illustrator and printmaker currently based in New Hampshire’s Upper Valley. Many of his projects are inspired by his formative years in Easthampton, Massachusetts, a former mill-town characterized by a unique blend of rural New England, and alternative-cultures. He is a graduate of the University of the Art’s in Philadelphia, PA, with a degree in Illustration/Printmaking. In addition to his studio practice, he is an arts-faculty member at the Cardigan Mountain School (Canaan,NH). His work has been included in exhibitions at the Woodmere Art Museum (Phila,PA), Spoiler-Zone(Berlin, Germany),InLiquid Gallery (Phila, PA) The Society of Illustrators (NYC), and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, and he was awarded 2nd place in the 2018 UArts Ely Illustration Thesis. 

STATEMENT

Whether created with pen, brush, gouge, or knife, my work is rooted in the intuitive act of drawing. The images I make are based around speed and ownership of my intrinsic mark-making. Conceptually, I am guided by a deep interest in historical content, and a distinct undercurrent of anxiety and compulsion. My images frequently use figurative iconography to indicate stress, dread and existentialism. Trained as an illustrator, I seek to communicate varied succinct ideas, and I am intrigued by how my lexicon can recontextualize an image or subject.