“ ‘Art is an umbrella term for being alive.”
\\Los Angeles-based painter Riley Vaughn’s approach to life is simple: Anything can be a form of artistic expression if done with intent. Once you’ve found your purpose, you’ve found your art. For Riley, the purpose of his art and his life center around a single idea: “I believe that conversation is everything.”
Figuring this out, however, took him some time. Studying traditionally narrative filmmaking in college while being an abstract artist at heart led to a lot of frustration and B+’s. But it was being misunderstood that made him understand his art. It cemented his belief that it doesn’t matter if you get it. What matters to him is that you get something. A feeling, a discussion, a drink after the show to share your thoughts with others; that’s why he paints. Riley believes that it’s all about having a conversation, and that is what he wants his art to do.
His current works are a marriage of the abstract and simplified narrative, personal vignettes that dive headfirst into the frustrations and joys of the relationships that make life worth living. But as he says, “Just because I might be sad, it doesn’t make my colors go away.” This attitude is present in everything that he creates. It’s what pushes him to lean into and embrace a unique style of mixed media, single-line drawings, and in-your-face colors that clearly say, “Hi, I’m Riley.”
