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it occurred to me that they could be used to tell a story in an art piece, and so I began to look for other objects from the Latino culture that could be part of that story. Loteria cards from a game that is over a hundred years old and can be found all over Southern California, and even here in Medford Oregon, seemed like a natural fit for these pieces. Milagros, little metal objects found on shrines and prayer pieces also seemed like they belonged on these assembledges. The Virgin Of Guadalupe also felt like a piece of the story telling. Various other pieces that came from the Mexican culture "showed up" as if by magic, and these pieces began to take on a life of their own. Cars, graffiti, bottle caps, maps, photos, chess pieces, all found their way into the story. Having lived in Southern California for over thirty years I could not help but be influenced by, and affected by the Latin culture. I owe a great debt to the people and to the art of that world, and especially to artist David Gonzales who created the Homies pieces from original drawings he made of friends and people from his neighborhood. It is truely and honor to be able to express through these pieces my love and respect for a culture that has so greatly impacted my life. Joe Romano
Joe Romano began painting in the mid sixties while attending the Combs Conservatory Of Music in Philadelphia Pa. At that time he befriended the renowned artist and teacher Benjamin Britt whose studio was across the street from the Conservatory. Joe would spend several hours a week at Ben's studio watching him paint while working on some of his music studies there. One day Ben handed Joe some paint and said that he should make a picture. Although he had no training, and felt intimidated because of Ben's mastery of art, at Ben's insistence he "made a painting". "I was hooked", said Joe, and from that moment, although music was his main creative outlet, painting became his other passion. In 1974 while living in Los Angeles he was invited to show some of his work at a local exhibition of Los Angeles artists, and he was "discovered" by a local gallery there that wanted to exhibit his work. He continued to work in the music industry, as a composer for film, records and theater. All of his spare time was devoted to painting. In 1989 an art dealer he met wanted to do a one man show of his work for her private clients, many of whom were in the entertainment business. Of the 30 pieces assembled for the show, 19 sold on the first day, and his recognition among serious collectors began to take off. Since then he has shown in many galleries and exhibitions, mostly in the Los Angeles area. In the mid 90's he met Dan Prince, one of the leading authorities on Outsider Art, art by self taught artists. Dan's gallery in Santa Monica Cal. was the premier gallery in the country for this kind of art, and Joe sold many works through that gallery. Dan also composed a book for Journey Editions called "Passing In The Outsider Lane", and Joe was one of the featured artists in that book. It was released in the late 90's and furthered Joe's reputation as a painter. In Los Angeles he has shown at the well known SCHOMBURG GALLERY. Read More
