JARED PAVA

My journey and love for art started when I was six years old. During that time I was also practicing Yoga from Swami Satchidananda. My mother bought me my first stipend of art supplies. My mom was a single parent and had a limited budget for discretionary spending on art supplies, although she was my biggest support in the pursuit of my passion for art. We lived in a three thousand square foot loft in Tribeca in  New York City.    

I have always been inspired by nature and have been fascinated by plants, insects, and flowers. It was almost like viewing my environment through a macro lens. The era of the eighties was a revolutionary time. People were expressing themselves through music, fashion, and dance.   

 I was inspired by the freestyle movement of break dancing, Hip Hop, Jazz, 60s - 70s Rock & Roll and the dynamic creative energy that was cultivated in New York City. As a Graffiti Artist, I explored a lot with texture and layering. This is a fundamental inspiration for my current artwork. This urban landscape was expressed in a raw and immediate way, void of smartphones, and techy distractions. Spray paint and the techniques I learned writing graffiti and creating pieces as a teenager was a good foreshadowing to my future going to Art and Photography school. Especially as a photographer, I enjoyed viewing humanity and each person's uniqueness from afar. The Art program at SUNY New Paltz was diverse and expansive. I studied and learned, sculpture, three-dimensional design, ceramics, painting, and drawing. I would spend numerous hours in the vast art library, mesmerized by artist's books.   

I was accepted into Speos Photography School in Paris. My plan was to attend a semester abroad, but the magic of the culture and the environment continued to inspire me, and I spent two years studying abroad.    

 Living and going to Photography School in Paris exposed me to a city with beautiful low lighting and magical and bohemian culture. I found Parians obsessed with talking about art, music, love, and where would be the best place in the world to vacation.    I spent many joyous nights in Paris chasing the shadows and highlights through my camera's lens.