Dave Pollot is an artist based in New York known for his altered thrift art paintings. He finds unwanted artwork and adds his own touch, most often pop culture parodies, and in doing so, bridges the divide between classic and pop art. By adding his own unique touches to the art found in thrift stores, he transforms mundane scenes into sensational art pieces that are entertaining and inspiring.
His artwork has been displayed and found homes in galleries, businesses, and private collections in all 50 states in the US and over 40 countries around the globe. His work has attracted attention from the media both in the U.S. and abroad, including Business Insider, Instagram, and the SyFy Channel.
The idea began as a joke between him and his wife who adores shopping at thrift stores. Painting had always been a hobby to Dave, but once he began repurposing thrift art in 2012 it quickly evolved. Painting has now turned into an obsession for Dave. He finds comfort in working over old paintings and feels restless when spending too much time away from his easel. Dave says “As much as I’ve always loved to paint, I found that I often lost interest in what I was working on before it was ever close to being finished.” Reworking found art turned out to be the answer to this problem. Each new piece presents a new set of challenges, and learning to work in a variety of styles and master new techniques has kept his attention. It’s also an interesting challenge to develop a narrative and tell a story with a painting – the backgrounds provide the framework to use to build a story.
We express ourselves through painting. “I’ve always loved the idea that art is deeply personal. I’m telling my own story with each piece, but everyone is a little bit like a mirror, reflecting its meaning to the viewer through his or her perception,” says Dave.