Jeff Soto
Encyclopedia
Jeff Soto is an American contemporary artist. His distinct color palette, subject matter and technique have been said to bridge the gap between Pop Surrealism and Street Art
.
held at CalArts in Valencia. He graduated from Norte Vista High School
in 1993.
from 1993 to 1999, and earned an Associates Degree in Arts. While at RCC, Soto experimented further with art, including works in sculpture, public artworks (graffiti and stenciling), abstract painting, and computer design.
In 1999 Soto transferred to Art Center College of Design
in Pasadena where he majored in Illustration and minored in Fine Art. That same year, Soto, disillusioned and bored with the state of graffiti art in the late 90’s, took what ended up being a decade long hiatus. He focused instead on both showing his work in local galleries and developing his illustration career. During these years, Soto was inspired by several of his Art Center instructors who were working as successful illustrators as well as showing the same work in galleries. Soto had his first solo exhibit during his last year in college. Potato Stamp Dreams opened at New Image Art Gallery in Los Angeles a few days after the September 11th terrorist attacks. As a student in 2002 Soto began to work in the field of illustration, with work appearing in American Illustration and Communication Arts. Soto graduated with Distinction from Art Center College of Design in April 2002.
, Mario “Mars1” Martinez, the Clayton Brothers
and Camille Rose Garcia
.
Soto adapted the moniker of “KILO”, "TREK" as well as “Sotofish” and started to tag, bomb and piece. In 1991 he met the artist Maxx242 and they began painting together. In 1995 they formed Bashers Crew which included members from Riverside, Los Angeles and Long Beach.
In 1999 Soto took a break from all aerosol painting, citing health reasons, boredom with the limitations of the spray can and conflict among graffiti writers. Ten years later in London, Soto visited artists D*Face and Word To Mother. Seeing their work in person inspired Soto to begin painting on walls again. Since then, Soto has reconnected with his graffiti roots and painted murals in New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Miami, London and Paris. In 2010 he participated in the Underbelly Project, an illegal art gallery beneath the city of New York. In 2011 he completed his largest wall painting to date- "Les Chat Terrible" in Lyon, France. Soto claims he is not a graffiti writer or street artist, rather he calls himself “a muralist with an occasional urge to do some graf”.
, United Airlines and Disney. His work has adorned magazines, books, albums, and advertisements. In 2010 Soto began creating gig posters for various bands including Pearl Jam
, The Black Keys
and Soundgarden
.
Gallery in Los Angeles. Months later he showed at La Luz de Jesus
in Los Angeles. These shows were well received and soon after he was invited to group and solo exhibits throughout the United States. With roots in graffiti as well as traditional painting, Soto continues to show in galleries which feature "Street Art" and also those which show "Pop Surrealism". He has been called a "crossover" artist for his relevance in both genres. In 2009 Soto had a solo exhibit at the Riverside Art Museum
. His art has been chronicled in Potato Stamp Dreams (2005) and Storm Clouds (2009) both published by Murphy Books. He is represented in the United States by Jonathan LeVine
Gallery in New York City. His paintings have been exhibited throughout the world including museums, galleries and walls in New York, Paris, Tokyo and London.
2009 "The Inland Empire" Stolenspace, London
2008 "Turning in Circles" Riverside Art Museum, Riverside, CA
2007 "Storm Clouds" Jonathan Levine Gallery, New York, NY
2006 "Cold Ice Age" BLK/MRKT Gallery, Culver City, CA
2006 "Supernova" Jonathan LeVine Gallery, New York, NY
2004 "Jeff Soto" BLKMRKT Gallery, Culver City, CA
2003 "Complete Domination" OX-OP Gallery. Minneapolis, MN
2001 "Potato Stamp Dreams" New Image Art, Los Angeles, CA
Street art
Street art is any art developed in public spaces — that is, "in the streets" — though the term usually refers to unsanctioned art, as opposed to government sponsored initiatives...
.
Early life
Soto was born in Fullerton, California, the eldest of four brothers. His father, Jeffrey worked as an offset printer and was an outdoor enthusiast and taxidermist. His mother, Patricia was a homemaker. Soto grew up in a middle class household where creativity was encouraged. He developed an interest in animals and plants due to his parents’ various outdoor activities- gardening, fishing, falconry and camping. From an early age Soto showed an interest in drawing, painting, and storytelling. As a high school student, Soto began to experiment with various genres and art techniques including painting, photography, ceramics, and filmography. In 1992 and 1993 he was a California Arts Scholar and attended the California State Summer School for the ArtsCalifornia State Summer School for the Arts
The , commonly known as CSSSA [See-Suh] or InnerSpark, is a four-week, pre-professional art training program for high school student that is held each summer at the California Institute of the Arts . The goal of CSSSA is to provide a supportive environment in which students acquired useful skills...
held at CalArts in Valencia. He graduated from Norte Vista High School
Norte Vista High School
Norte Vista High School is a high school in Riverside, California, part of the Alvord Unified School District, and the home of the Norte Vista Braves.-Institution:...
in 1993.
Education
Soto attended Riverside Community CollegeRiverside Community College
Riverside City College, or RCC, is a community college located in Riverside, California, United States. The college is part of the Riverside Community College District, as well as the larger California Community Colleges System.-History:...
from 1993 to 1999, and earned an Associates Degree in Arts. While at RCC, Soto experimented further with art, including works in sculpture, public artworks (graffiti and stenciling), abstract painting, and computer design.
In 1999 Soto transferred to Art Center College of Design
Art Center College of Design
Art Center College of Design is a private college located in Pasadena, California, and was cited by BusinessWeek as one of the 60 best design schools in the world. The college’s industrial design program is consistently ranked number one by both DesignIntelligence and U.S...
in Pasadena where he majored in Illustration and minored in Fine Art. That same year, Soto, disillusioned and bored with the state of graffiti art in the late 90’s, took what ended up being a decade long hiatus. He focused instead on both showing his work in local galleries and developing his illustration career. During these years, Soto was inspired by several of his Art Center instructors who were working as successful illustrators as well as showing the same work in galleries. Soto had his first solo exhibit during his last year in college. Potato Stamp Dreams opened at New Image Art Gallery in Los Angeles a few days after the September 11th terrorist attacks. As a student in 2002 Soto began to work in the field of illustration, with work appearing in American Illustration and Communication Arts. Soto graduated with Distinction from Art Center College of Design in April 2002.
Influences
Soto received his first skateboard as a gift at the age of 9. It was an early introduction to skateboard graphics which were a significant influence. Early on, horror, science fiction, and fantasy movies and television were another influence, in particular Star Wars, Robotech, and Mtv. In college, Soto discovered and was inspired by artists such as Max Ernst, Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol, Amedio Modigliani, Van Gogh and Paul Cadmus. More recent influences include Soto’s contemporaries- Dave Cooper, David ChoeDavid Choe
David Choe is an American painter, muralist, graffiti artist and graphic novelist of Korean descent. He achieved art world success with his "dirty style" figure paintings—raw, frenetic works which combine themes of desire, degradation, and exaltation...
, Mario “Mars1” Martinez, the Clayton Brothers
Clayton Brothers
Rob Clayton and Christian Clayton are painters based in California.Both Rob and Christian Clayton hold BFA degrees from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California .Their work has been exhibited widely throughout America and Europe, and has been featured in several important shows...
and Camille Rose Garcia
Camille Rose Garcia
Camille Rose Garcia is a Los Angeles-based lowbrow artist. she produces paintings, prints and sculpture in a gothic, "creepy" cartoon style. She cites as influences Walt Disney and Philip K. Dick. - Biography :...
.
Graffiti
In 1989 Soto found a book while looking through the Riverside Downtown Library’s art section called Street Art. The book showcased early illegal art in NY as well as hip hop based subway graffiti of the 70’s. Inspired by this book, he began stenciling his “Sotofish” design on walls and signs. The following year he and a friend created a graffiti crew called CIA (Criminally Insane Artists) which attracted several other writers from their high school.Soto adapted the moniker of “KILO”, "TREK" as well as “Sotofish” and started to tag, bomb and piece. In 1991 he met the artist Maxx242 and they began painting together. In 1995 they formed Bashers Crew which included members from Riverside, Los Angeles and Long Beach.
In 1999 Soto took a break from all aerosol painting, citing health reasons, boredom with the limitations of the spray can and conflict among graffiti writers. Ten years later in London, Soto visited artists D*Face and Word To Mother. Seeing their work in person inspired Soto to begin painting on walls again. Since then, Soto has reconnected with his graffiti roots and painted murals in New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Miami, London and Paris. In 2010 he participated in the Underbelly Project, an illegal art gallery beneath the city of New York. In 2011 he completed his largest wall painting to date- "Les Chat Terrible" in Lyon, France. Soto claims he is not a graffiti writer or street artist, rather he calls himself “a muralist with an occasional urge to do some graf”.
Illustration
In 2002 Soto began working as a freelance illustrator specializing in editorial work. Some of his clients include Entertainment Weekly, Sony Music, Rockstar Games, Saatchi & SaatchiSaatchi & Saatchi
Saatchi & Saatchi is a global advertising agency network with 140 offices in 80 countries and over 6,500 staff. It was founded in London in 1970 but now headquartered in New York. The parent company of the agency group was known as Saatchi & Saatchi PLC from 1976 to 1994, was listed on the London...
, United Airlines and Disney. His work has adorned magazines, books, albums, and advertisements. In 2010 Soto began creating gig posters for various bands including Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
, The Black Keys
The Black Keys
The Black Keys are an American rock duo consisting of vocalist/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer/producer Patrick Carney. The band was formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001. As of October 2011, the band has sold over 2 million albums in the U.S....
and Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
.
Fine Art
In 2002, Soto had his first solo exhibit at New Image ArtNew Image Art
New Image Art is a art gallery in Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded and is directed by Marsea Goldberg, started in 1994 as Goldberg's 10×10 design studio...
Gallery in Los Angeles. Months later he showed at La Luz de Jesus
La Luz de Jesus
La Luz de Jesus Gallery is a commercial art gallery located in Los Angeles, California. It is closely associated with the Lowbrow Art Movement, Kustom Kulture, and pop surrealism.-History:...
in Los Angeles. These shows were well received and soon after he was invited to group and solo exhibits throughout the United States. With roots in graffiti as well as traditional painting, Soto continues to show in galleries which feature "Street Art" and also those which show "Pop Surrealism". He has been called a "crossover" artist for his relevance in both genres. In 2009 Soto had a solo exhibit at the Riverside Art Museum
Riverside Art Museum
Riverside Art Museum is an art museum in the historic Mission Inn District of Riverside, California. A non-profit organization, its mission is to "to serve the varied communities of the Inland Empire by providing visual art of the finest quality and related educational and interpretive...
. His art has been chronicled in Potato Stamp Dreams (2005) and Storm Clouds (2009) both published by Murphy Books. He is represented in the United States by Jonathan LeVine
Jonathan LeVine
Jonathan LeVine is a New York City art dealer. As of 2005, he owns and operates the Jonathan LeVine Gallery, in the Chelsea area of Manhattan...
Gallery in New York City. His paintings have been exhibited throughout the world including museums, galleries and walls in New York, Paris, Tokyo and London.
List of Solo Exhibits
2010 "Lifecycle", Jonathan Levine Gallery, New York, NY2009 "The Inland Empire" Stolenspace, London
2008 "Turning in Circles" Riverside Art Museum, Riverside, CA
2007 "Storm Clouds" Jonathan Levine Gallery, New York, NY
2006 "Cold Ice Age" BLK/MRKT Gallery, Culver City, CA
2006 "Supernova" Jonathan LeVine Gallery, New York, NY
2004 "Jeff Soto" BLKMRKT Gallery, Culver City, CA
2003 "Complete Domination" OX-OP Gallery. Minneapolis, MN
2001 "Potato Stamp Dreams" New Image Art, Los Angeles, CA