Desert Paintings
My new series of paintings are inspired by desert motel art. After visiting Pioneer Town near Joshua Tree in the California Palm Desert and staying at the Pioneer Town Motel, I became facinated with the art in the motel room. I saw the band Agent Orange play at Pappy and Harriets which was a short walk across a dirt lot. The experience led me to my own dicovery of looking at the desert through an artists lenz.
About the artist:
My name is Clayton William Bentley. I first developed an interest in art about the same time I got interested in playing guitar which was 5th grade. I started a band with my buddy Eli Veil and brother Cameron, we were called Pure Poison. I had a wonderful art teacher in middle school who then also became my art teacher in high school. I decided pretty early into high school that I was going to be a musician and artist. I eventually graduated from UC Santa Cruz in 1997 with a BFA in studio art. From performance art to painting, it's very therapeutic to express myself in art form. My music and art are what gets me going and have been an essential part of my life.
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