In the realm of watercolors, Palm Desert resident Jay Samit paints with a nuanced unease you could call Hopperesque. Samit’s Pop Art paintings shine the spotlight on how we have become commodities. Our lives reduced to pixels of data sold to the highest bidder millions of times every day. By utilizing the aesthetic of last century’s mass-produced comic books, Samit lures the viewer into each familiar vignette only to be confronted by biting text that alters the context of the imagery. Each of Samit’s paintings have a poignancy that takes us on this dystopian journey from past to present, from complacency to abhorrence, with a wink and a nod that will often have you laughing out loud.
Before making his artistic debut, Jay Samit was renowned for his achievements as an internationally acclaimed author and visionary technologist. Recognized globally for his insights into disruption and innovation, his books are presently published in over a dozen languages. Wired magazine hailed him for having an “industry’s coolest job,” while Variety bestowed upon him the title of the “industry guru,” a testament to his profound influence.
Samit’s journey into the art world gained momentum with his solo exhibition, “America Disrupted,” hosted at the prestigious Richard Taittinger Gallery in New York during 2020. This marked a pivotal transition for the polymath, showcasing his multifaceted talent and inviting art collectors to witness disruption through a creative lens.
A tech pioneer who dedicated his career to democratizing access to art, music, and video through the vast expanse of the internet, the virtuoso watercolorist is profoundly influenced by the ramifications of disruption on humanity and its institutions. Each stroke on his canvas conveys a narrative of transformation, provoking introspection on the evolving landscape of innovation.
You can find Jay Samit’s latest artworks showcased on Instagram under the handle @jaysamit. An unvarnished reflection of the challenges we all face, Samit’s pieces explore the value exchange of privacy for convenience, intimacy for popularity, and true connections for likes.
Represented non-exclusively by the esteemed Richard Taittinger Gallery in New York, Jay Samit’s presence in the art world is a testament to his indomitable spirit and unrelenting pursuit of innovation.
