Wheaton artist's paintings combine humor, social commentary

During the five years or so Vincent Gordon worked in The Little Popcorn Shop in Wheaton, it was obvious he wasn't your typical suburban teen.

Even then, he wore his hair in dreadlocks and doodled on everything.

“We always knew he would go into art,” said the shop's owner, Bill Wakefield. “One of his high school art projects is hanging in the back of the store.”

Since his days at Wheaton North High School, where he admits he was indifferent to most of the academic fare but voted the most creative by the Class of 2000, Gordon has gone far with his artwork.

Last summer, he traveled with an all-electronic musical festival to 27 states, painting in front of the crowds who turned out for the concerts. Based in Chicago and San Diego, he has traveled to Washington, D.C., Washington state, New York, Portland, Ore., and places in between with his art.

Don't look for Gordon's colorful, character-based cartoon collages in art galleries, though. You're more likely to find his work in nightclubs, restaurants and bars, where he's often part of group art shows.

“In order to be a successful artist, you have to inconvenience (yourself),” Gordon said. “The road is my home.”

Creative spirit

Gordon was working as a salesman for a cellphone company five years ago when he decided to get serious about his drawing. With no formal art training since high school, he developed his portfolio. Then, about three years ago, he met Schugar (pronounced Sugar), a DJ, musician and founder of The Infusion Project.

The Infusion Project brings together artists of all stripes and presents them where people gather, whether it's a nightclub or a festival. The idea is not only to showcase and sell their own work, but inspire others to be artists in their own way — even if they don't draw, paint or play music.

“Creativity is something that helps you live life better,” Schugar said. “To be part of a creative process is a natural thing for human beings and has been lost in our society. We're injecting that creativity back in the human spirit.”

Creativity always has been part of Gordon's spirit, with his artwork showing evidence of the inspiration he got from cartoons he watched as a child. A “family portrait” of some of his favorite characters include a blue bear named Elvis, a pink rabbit, and a gray critter named Jive Turkey sitting on the rabbit's ear.

“A lot of my work is very youthful,” Gordon said. “I like to describe it as a kid spinning around in the middle of a field, laughing until he falls over.”

Gordon also dubs his work a mix of situational humor and social commentary.

“I like to mess with people's heads a lot in my art. I like people to think,” he said.

Monsters are a recurring subject.

“It's kind of like a different side of a person. We all have a different side of us,” Gordon said. “A monster can be anything. A monster can be something that's scary. A monster can be something that's cuddly, that's cute.”

Painting mostly in acrylics, Gordon works on five to seven pieces at a time, with each piece taking anywhere from two hours to two months. He sells prints on his website and at the shows, and does commissioned work.

“We're not struggling artists. We're hardworking artists,” he said.

Group art shows

Schugar said Gordon's go-getting spirit brought the two together when they were doing art shows in San Diego. Like Gordon, Schugar was a Midwest native who had a background in sales before he decided to devote himself to art. His new venture wouldn't be about just his art, but about helping other artists develop and market their talents, he decided.

“The Infusion Project is all about empowering artists to be artists,” Schugar said.

The Infusion Project sponsors a group art show and benefit from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. the second Thursday of the month at Passion House, 221 W. Fulton, Chicago. It will hold another group show starting at 10 p.m. Feb. 2 at Beauty Bar, 1444 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago.

“We're basically expanding and using Chicago as a base,” Gordon said.

Gordon and Schugar say their background in sales have served them well as their venture spreads to other cities across the country and as far away as Australia.

“We know how to sell ourselves,” Schugar said.

Wakefield recalled that Gordon had a personable and appealing personality, even as a teen selling popcorn.

“Once the customers got to know him, they loved him,” he said. “Real positive attitude. Always up for fun.”

Gordon also has been about helping others through A Reason to Survive in San Diego. Known as ARTS, the organization uses art to help young people overcome hardships.

“I'm trying to figure out how we can use their program out here in Chicago,” he said.

Meanwhile, he and Schugar will keep doing art, putting on shows and connecting with other artists and would-be artists.

“We're always going to be searching for the next thing,” Schugar said.

For more information and to see Gordon's work, visit vincentgordon.com or theinfusionproject.com.

If you go

The Infusion Project has scheduled the following group art shows in Chicago:

Ÿ 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Jan. 12 and the second Thursday of every month at Passion House Coffee Roasters, 2021 Fulton St., Chicago

Ÿ 10 p.m. Feb. 2 at Beauty Bar, 1444 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago

Info: <a href="http://theinfusionproject.com">theinfusionproject.com</a>