Mid 20th Century Untitled Abstract Art by Richard Silva

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Born in 1939 in Fresno, California, I am a first-generation Portuguese American who moved to San Francisco in 1970 to … Read more Born in 1939 in Fresno, California, I am a first-generation Portuguese American who moved to San Francisco in 1970 to pursue painting after working various jobs. I studied at the Academy of Art under Joan Brown, which established my figurative direction, and later at the San Francisco Art Institute, influenced by artists such as Sam Tchakalian and Robert De Niro Sr. After leaving school, I spent twelve years painting in San Francisco before returning to Fresno, where I devoted myself fully to making art with the support of my wife and four children. In 1999, I joined Fig Tree Gallery and had my first solo exhibition. My work is largely mixed media, combining materials such as house paint, charcoal, torn paper, and found objects, often reworking earlier pieces to bring them into the present. Guided by Willem de Kooning’s words, “I don’t paint to live, but live to paint,” my practice is intuitive and rooted in emotion and immediacy. See less