The Love Child Interview Article

Jay Gittens, known to the art world as The Love Child, is a self-taught painter who launched into the scene selling his work on the busy streets of Soho. After immigrating to New York from his birthplace of Grenada, The Love Child found his voice in the colorful and vivid paintings that would go on to become his charismatic style. Inspired by his youth living in an island country, he brings the rich imagery and colors he was surrounded with growing up to his artwork. His exuberant style can be described as expressive, whimsical, and playful. The Love Child makes use of warm vivid colors in his paintings, which he believes affect the positive and pleasurable senses of his audience. Not wanting to be constrained by a singular mode, his work passes between narrative and more abstract imagery in a harmonious way. Both hold the presence and power of a singular artist with a unique sense of individuality
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THE LOVECHILD

Jay Gittens
—known professionally as The Love Child–was on a trip with his mentor, an artist who goes by the name Nobody Knows.
“New York Romantics” (2021)
The pair were traveling from Miami to New York, through brush and open, naked fields and palm trees. Jay was in the car,
obsessively writing the word ‘love’ over and over on a sheet of paper. His mentor chuckled and said: I’m going to call you ‘love
child’. An offhand comment but the name stuck. When Jay came back to New York – with all of her beehive apartments and slick
streets, a million lights per second – he began tagging the name all over the city. And has stood by the name ever since.
The Love Child grew up in Grenada, a country in the Carribean known as the Island of Spice due to its production of nutmeg. It is
a beautiful place which rests against the glittering ocean, fruits by the pound.
When The Love Child came to New York, it was not by choice. He came first followed by his mother. He carried with him a
lesson he learned in Grenada–always treat people right. This is the mantra he lives by. And this belief comes through in his
kind-hearted, open manner. He is an easy presence, picking his words deliberately as we speak.
The Love Child working on “New York Romantics” (2021)

“Seraph Hierarchy of Angels” (2021)
“Sound frequency affects matter” (2021)
His first memories of New York are actually that of being ill; overwhelmed by the dirty, compunded air of the city. He spent his first
few days here sick to his stomach. The feeling passed and he grew accustomed to the difference in environment, saw everything
for the first time.
Then, The Love Child got to work.
He began as a street artist, tagging all across New York. But while this outlet allowed him exposure, he was restless, itching for
another medium to pour himself into.
“The approach was doing a lot of homework.”
He studied other artists–their process and inspirations–and delved into the history of art. He learned about composition, technique.
He pushed himself to paint or if he couldn’t paint, then to draw every day. The key, as he learned, was practice. Consistency
sustained him.
And suffice to say, this work paid off.
“Untitled” (2021)
“Illusion” (2020)

The Love Child working on “Standing Cow” (2021)
Frontal View of “Standing Cow” (2021)
The Love Child’s work is a playful, powerful examination of color and feeling. His works are often composed of several bright
colors–mint green, hot pink, angelic whites–as they overlap one another to form a fluorescent, beautiful vision. His use of color is
ambitious and striking, each piece demands your full attention.
His work has been featured in various gallery shows both across the country and world, finding homes in countries such as
France, Amsterdam and Japan to name a few. His work has also been sold through regal auction houses and featured in magazines,
public installations and art fairs.
He has done well, to say the least.
This work has allowed him the opportunity to dedicate himself to his craft. The Love Child’s day often starts with a trip to the gym,
then settles down into emails, calls, sending out update pictures for various commissions. And at night, he surreenders to his
studio and paints until the late, twinkling hours of the night. He keeps many sketchbooks, always noting an idea or image for later
reference. He has learned how to value the sketch. This process helps him
visualize how the final piece might look, and allows him to adapt the scene however he sees fit. A practice before the real thing.
When asked about his favorite color, he takes a moment to think. Then decides that although he uses blue frequently in his
paintings–it has to be green.
“Color is the life-force in my work.”
Just as a song might, a color can change your mood, can shift the tone of a piece. But The Love Child doesn’t often think about
color in an active way, preferring to let his intuition guide him on what color to put where.
Corner View of “Standing Cow” (2021)
Side View of “Standing Cow” (2021)

The Love Child at auction with “Where the Wild Things Are” (2021)
and “Tree of Life” (2021)
The Love Child
While The Love Child is in an enviable place as far as his work goes, he still considers how he could further his process, push
his skills farther. He would like to work in additional mediums; sculptures, installations. He would like to create an entire world that
someone could walk into, an experience shaded with his massive blues and vibrant greens. Something a person can feel. I
believe him when he says this.
As the interview winds down, I ask him to describe his artisition mission in one sentence. He speaks without a second to spare.
“To save the world.”
Jay Gittens, known to the art world as The Love Child, is a self-taught painter who launched into the scene selling his work on the busy
streets of Soho. After immigrating to New York from his birthplace of Grenada, The Love Child found his voice in the colorful and vivid
paintings that would go on to become his charismatic style. Inspired by his youth living in an island country, he brings the rich imagery
and colors he was surrounded with growing up to his artwork. His exuberant style can be described as expressive, whimsical, and
playful. The Love Child makes use of warm vivid colors in his paintings, which he believes affect the positive and pleasurable senses of
his audience. Not wanting to be constrained by a singular mode, his work passes between narrative and more abstract imagery in a
harmonious way. Both hold the presence and power of a singular artist with a unique sense of individuality.
From his initial inauguration on the streets of NYC in 2013, The Love Child has since been featured in gallery shows across the country
and world, and has found homes in France, Amsterdam, Australia, Japan, and China, to name a few. His work has also been sold
through the prestigious auction houses, Phillips and Christie’s. He has been featured in public installations, in magazines such as GQ,
and in art fairs such as Art Basel. The Love Child’s art is highly sought after by prestigious collectors and continues to make a sizable
impact on the art scene worldwide.
Article by Jasmine Ledesma
thelovechildart.com
Layout by Janice Zhai

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