By: Gabe Laszlo
Eduardo Mendieta began his career as an artist with a can of spray-paint and many furtive looks over his shoulder. Like Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, Emo (the name Mendieta signs to his work) has moved from buildings and trains to canvas and wood panels.

Unlike the vibrant "ignorant" art of Basquiat or the kitschy figures of Haring, Mendieta's work uses a dark palette and twisted figures to show us the dense underbelly of modern society. His work brings to mind the rendering of Diego Rivera and the characters of Tim Slowinski, while skirting Rivera's socialism and Slowinski's perversion.

For more info go to: www.eduardomendieta.com