87. Robert Nava

Robert Nava draws inspiration from sources ranging from prehistoric cave paintings to Egyptian art and cartoons to create hybrid monsters populating a mythical contemporary world. Rendered through a raw, energetic mixing of spray paint, acrylics, and grease pencil, his large-scale paintings of fantastical beasts exude a playful candidness that defies the pretensions of high art. An MFA graduate from Yale University, Nava builds on the gesturalism of Cy Twombly and Jean-Michel Basquiat. He and Zuckerman discuss the energy he utilizes and creates, what different people see in the same imagery, the importance of heart, how he describes his own work, and of course why art matters!