Devon Rodriguez is known for his subway oil paintings of unsuspecting subjects. He is now taken to drawing live while on the subway. Here is a TikTok showing his process.
“My work is about documenting the world around me, typically on the NYC Subway. My job is not to direct reality, but to let reality direct me. I like to remain hyper aware to what’s going on around me. I try not to disturb my subject in any way. The last thing I’d do is ask someone to allow me to photograph them for a painting. I like to be patient, and just hope that the world around me will reward me with deep and soulful incidents and characters. Painting what I see helps me understand the world around me.
I often like to paint big works. To me, this makes the image feel very familiar and normal, as if you’re sitting in front of the subject in your everyday life. Sometimes my paintings are interpreted as invasive, but it doesn’t stop my admiration for people, sometimes very unusual people. ”
The drawings are available to buy right from his website and they are $500 each. They are selling out so hurry.
Devon’s artwork is currently exhibiting in the Smithsonian and his Subway paintings have been featured throughout New York subways and been featured in numerous publications including The New York Times.