Latin Music & Dance Art

Latin music inspires people in different ways. It makes many people want to move - to dance. Others are inspired to become members of the band, whether their talent is singing or percussion. Still others are inspired to capture the mood in art.

Alla Gerzon and Andres Giraldo are salsa dancers who moonlight as painters, or vice versa. Though they’re among the few artists who focus on salsa, there are other artists whose passion for a broader variety of Latin dance explodes on their palettes in diverse styles. They inlude Trish Biddle, Bill Brauer and Valerie Vescovi, and there are surely more I haven’t discovered yet.

Below are brief bios of some notable artists, along with samples of their work. If you want to purchase a picture, look for it on the Fine Art or Posters page (or contact the artist directly).

Rain Ader

I recently discovered Rain Ader’s blog, which features some fabulous salsa paintings. I asked him for a little background info and he replied, “I deejay salsa for 5 years and also dance salsa. I'm very passionate about latin records, music and dancing.”

According to his blog, Ader is also a graduate of the Estonian Academy of Arts.

(Courtesy Rain Ader)

Pedro Alvarez

Pedro Alvarez worked with electrical circuitry before he switched to his true passions - dancing and painting. It’s no surprise that tango is one of the favorite topics of this artist who was born in Argentina. Alvarez moved to California during his teens and later relocated to rural Spain.

I haven’t yet found much information about Pedro Alvarez.

Trish Biddle

Trish Biddle’s paintings can generally be described as elegant, romantic and faceless. As she explains on her website, “The faces are obscured purposely to allow the viewer to identify with the images of the graceful dancers their own romantic notions.”

Biddle was born in Minneapolis and studied at the Dallas Institute of Art, before launching her career as an illustrator and textile designer. Her website notes, “Her process of drawing, painting and designing eventually melded onto canvases, creating romantic images and her unmistakable Art Deco figurative paintings. Her expertise in capturing nature and light creates richly colored, breath-taking canvases.”

Left to Right: Salsa, Evening Tango, Jazz Samba (Courtesy Trish Biddle [pending permission])

Biddle doesn’t focus exclusively on dancers, though her passion for romance and fashion make it a natural target... “Tamara De Lempicka who defined Art Deco painting as we know it, Argentinean tango dancers and depression era dance marathons have all inspired Trish’s vintage, figurative paintings.”

The prolific artist’s fans include actress Eva Longoria Parker.

Bill Brauer

Bill Brauer knew he would be an artist while he was growing up in Queens, New York. A graduate of New York City’s School of Visual Arts, Brauer is now known nationally for his sensual figurative paintings.

Left to Right: Autumn Light, Touch of Ivory, Scarlet Dancer (Courtesy Bill Brauer [pending permission])

Salsa Dancers (Courtesy Bill Brauer [pending permission])

According to his website, “Brauer’s paintings are highly sensual and moody, using intense colors and a finely tuned drawing ability to beautifully render women in narrative yet mysterious scenes.”

Sensual, moody women dressed in intense colors? That spells DANCE!

Brauer says, “I love the concept of mystery. I like the idea that something is taking place off the picture plane.”

There’s no shortage of mystery in Brauer’s dance portraits.

Alla Gerzon

Salsa! The very word conjures up images of dark nightclubs with flashing lights, gaudy costumes and crowded dance floors. But when you want a change of pace, you can always gaze at Alla Gerzon’s Salsa en la Playa (“Salsa on the Beach”), where blue and white just about sum up sea, sky, a sandy beach and the dancers’ white clothing.

Salsa en la Playa (Courtesy Alla Gerzon)

Gerzon is a salsa dancer herself, though one of her favorite paintings is Tango Cafe. You can find a little more information about Gerzon’s work at SeaLatin > Salsa Culture > Salsa Art.

Left to Right: Tango Cafe, Spotlight Salsa, Smooth Salsa (Courtesy Alla Gerzon)

Andres Giraldo

Andres Giraldo is an artist, dancer, salsa instructor and co-director of the Salsa y Control Dance Company. His paintings blur motion and colors, creating the illusion of the movement that defines Latin dance. Fans can purchase originals or prints from Mr. Giraldo.

Left to Right: Guaguanco Pa Que Sabe, Salsa de Colores and Rica Salsa (Courtesy Andres Giraldo)

Lee Goodall

A resident of Danbury, Connecticut, Lee Goodall paints the things he loves, from animals to dance. He refers to his work as “conveying the humanistic message which crosses all cultural boundaries and subject matter.”

Misha Lenn

After receiving his Masters degree from the prestigious Academy of Art and Design in St. Petersburg, Russia, Misha Lenn found success with his distinctive style of watercolor painting, heavily influenced by imressionism. According to his website, “The complex patterns of Klimt, the elegance and grace of Degas, the romantic verve of Renoir, technical command of Monet and the vibrant energy of Toulouse Lautrec has been his primary influences.”

With a passion for music - he’s a jazz pianist - it’s only natural that dance should be one of Lenn’s favorite subjects.

Valerie Vescovi

The color blue, Picasso and la musica are dominant themes in Vescovi’s work...

Left to Right: Latino Jazz, Caliente and Hot Latin Jazz (Courtesy Valerie Vescovi)

Red Hot (Courtesy Valerie Vescovi)

But that doesn’t rule out occasional surprises.

Actually, I shouldn’t describe Picasso as a theme. Rather, she shares his neo-cubist style, which she developed over a career spanning four decades. (Vescovi refers to her abstractions of dancers as “Rhythmic Cubism.”)

Vescovi grew up in Miami, where she was apparently inspired by the local Latin music scene. Many of her paintings feature Latin musicians and/or dancers, though her work isn’t limited to a particular topic. From her website: “High contrast and the dynamic use of line add to the power of her work.”

You can even explore Vescovi’s work through some cool YouTube videos, including Dancers and Bar Scenes and New Project 2.