Having a nose for nostalgia isn’t all that it is cracked up to be. As a millennial, our jones for that era of innocence is often betrayed by blatant mishandling of IP or outright neglect of the established lore. We are milked for every cent despite being forced to stomach the diluted drivel that derived from the sweet nectar of what we know to be tried and true. Tapping into the core sentiment and distinct aesthetic of our gaming heydays, artist Amadeus Chavez has found a pocket between culture and commodification.
Chavez isn’t just selling nostalgia, he is offering a reminder that there will always be that moment where you’re locked in, stoned and/or jacked up on caffeine–a perfect state of being for reaching a high score. He is drawing from something time-tested and true; even perusing all the classics such as Call of Duty, San Andreas, Vice City, Left 4 Dead and more. Through a lens of great skill, Chavez is tapping into a core memory that lives in anyone who has had the pleasure of playing video games.
Utilizing a soft palette of cool blues, nonchalant mauves and unbothered beiges, Chavez’s pieces radiate a familiar warmth that takes us back to the couch with our favorite game and nothing but time to kill. What were once pixels are now brushstrokes but the sentiment is still there. The style of the work looks to be caught in a loving haze; fixed in a nuanced trance as the colors all seem to sing in this rerendered harmony.
This brief but endearing write up is more than just wordy promotion. Quiet Lunch stands behind the work because Amadeus Chavez is a thoughtful creative who is worth supporting with a cultured vision worth collecting. When the work speaks to you, you can’t help but listen: Click below to see exactly what Chavez has to offer:
Shop Amadeus Chavez Here!
Akeem is our founder. A writer, poet, curator and profuse sweater, he is responsible for the curatorial direction and overall voice of Quiet Lunch. The Bronx native has read at venues such as the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, KGB Bar, Lovecraft and SHAG–with works published in Palabra Luminosas and LiVE MAG13. He has also curated solo and group exhibitions at numerous galleries in Chelsea, Harlem, Bushwick and Lower Manhattan.