"Lemon Drop," from a series created for the Sweet Meat Co. show in Rochester in January 2010. St. Monci describes his work as an amalgamation of everything he's seen and absorbed.Notice everything, everywhere.

That simple, guiding principle came from a stranger years ago and has shaped this artist's vision for his work ever since.

“One of my most profound and defining moments was late in high school,” says St. Monci (né Michael Moncibaiz).

“One day, my father had a guest at our house who happened to be a graphic designer. He told this man that I wanted to pursue art, and asked if he could share any advice with me.”

“All he said was, 'Look at everything. Take notice of everything, everywhere. Every page in a magazine, cereal boxes, road signs, TV commercials. Really look at it all.'”

St. Monci's background in graffiti art has clearly influenced his evolution. “I’ve been writing graffiti for 15 years,” he says. “My work is an attempt to hold onto many of the fundamental elements of graffiti—break it down to its most basic form and gestures."And so he has.

St. Monci's graffiti-influenced art reflects his whole universe of obersvations and his commentary on life. He also draws inspiration from music, movies, comics, cartoons, and fashion.

“I’m a victim of pop culture’s dominance,” he says. “I can’t help but absorb and reflect a lot of these aesthetics.”

A State University of New York at Oswego grad with an MA in studio art, St. Monci came to Rochester in 2006 to take a job at Monroe Community College (MCC). The time commitment of teaching led to a personal creative slump. But since leaving MCC to pursue his art in 2009, he's found renewed energy and focus.

“Soon after, I fell into a bit of a creative explosion, which is where my current body of work began almost two years ago,” St. Monci says.

His upcoming show, “Nothing New,” is a collaboration with artist Sarah Rutherford—a cohort from the Sweet Meat Co. art collective. St. Monci is working on a 40-foot painting for the Rochester exhibit.

"Green Apple Gumballs"

St. Monci

He says he and Sarah are a good match for a joint show because of their perspective on the arts.

“We share a lot of similar feelings regarding our work, the current state of the art world, and our places in that art world.”

He mentions the impact of seeing the film Exit Through the Gift Shop by graffiti artist Banksy.

“I was struck with an overwhelming feeling that graffiti—and street art in general—had officially been commodified,” he says.

“Nothing about it seemed sacred or subversive anymore,” he says.

“It all seemed too easy now to walk into an art store and buy 'graffiti tools' with a 400-color selection, not to mention how-to books with full-on slang glossaries.”

“Sarah and I came to the conclusion that nothing seems new anymore. All anyone can do is build on the past through their own filter and make something truly unique from it.”

And so he is.

 

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“Nothing New” opens with a public reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, March 4, 2011 at Booksmart Studio, 250 N. Goodman St., Rochester. The show runs through March 26. Other St. Monci shows are planned for May in Brockport, N.Y., and July in Tampa, Fla.

 

 

 

See more: www.saintmonci.com, www.sweetmeatco.blogspot.com

Say hi: st.monci@gmail.com and on Facebook