Michael Lotenero, online Moniker “Nero”, is an artist from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania whose current works are ‘aiming to challenge conventional beauty standards in life, and the art world.’ We came across his work on Instagram, where his bio reads, “makes ugly art,” which we couldn’t disagree with more. Although we think ugly in this context might mean unpleasant, we find it to be incredibly captivating and emotional, and both of those things working together create a very attractive body of work.
One of the most compelling things about Lote’s work is that below the distortion and chaos, there is immense feeling in the portraits he creates – and we find it a lot of times in the eyes. Take a look at any of his works and pause a moment to focus on the gaze, under the paint and paper there sits something very human and profoundly sad, a raw emotion we all can relate to. Even in artworks lacking eyes or structured faces, the feeling remains. A large portion of his body of work is monochromatic and dark, so we find his colorful artwork compelling for a completely different reason. With the inclusion of reds, pinks, and purples, it takes the emotion and transforms it a bit. Although the subject matter stills reads as dark, the color adds a layer of complexity that allows a secondary feeling to come through, in some it was anxiety and in others it was hope. We enjoy not knowing what the next piece might evoke.
Michael’s artwork has accomplished something that at its core encompasses the spirit of just creating. There’s not an attempt to make something people stop to stare at because they want to gift it to their best friend or hang it in their living room. Rather, there’s an honest connection between the artist and artwork that makes you stop in your tracks because you recognize yourself in the details. You can explore all of his artwork here, and follow him on Instagram here.
