Relationship Status:

Single

Bio:

David Valentin is an Artist and DJ based in San Francisco, California. As an Artist, he has produced artwork for city funded projects, has had a clothing line based on his artwork and has shown in various art shows throughout Northern California. Equal to his passion for Art is his passion for music. The DJ art form and Graffiti art form both originate from the same creative source in the Hip Hop culture. David allows these two art forms to inspire and influence each other. Under his DJ name, Tactics, he has been performing at top venues in San Francisco and throughout California since the late 1990’s. Whether he is performing or painting, David is always aspiring to create and share his experiences with others.

As a youth, David was exposed to a diverse range of cultures and experiences, which were instrumental in the forming of his creative style. He was born in San Francisco and was raised for most of his childhood and adolescent years in the Sacramento area before moving back to the city for college. Growing up in Northern California as a Puerto Rican and Nicaraquense American youth was a unique experience in and of itself. By the age of 15, David had visited his family in Nicaragua and Puerto Rico, and had traveled throughout Mexico, El Salvador and Costa Rica. In Mexico City, he saw the work of Diego Rivera at the Palacio de Bellas Artes. In Nicaragua, he visited the artists on the island of Solentiname, where so many of the paintings in his family’s house were from. Furthermore, at the age of 12, he was given the unique opportunity of visiting Western Europe with his family. The experience of visiting the Louvre museum in Paris, the Palace of Versailles, the Statue of David in Florence and the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City afforded David to have a more unique and worldly perspective. As he entered middle school, his interest in graffiti and hip-hop grew along with his curiosity in California Latino gang culture and the tattoo art that glorified it. Both of these art forms were abundant throughout his youth. Because of his early exposure to the masters of classic European art and the art of Latin America, David envisioned his graffiti and tattoo art being brought up onto the same world stage.

Graffiti and Classical European art are often looked upon as being on two opposite ends of the art spectrum, but for David, they are equally instrumental in his exploration of self-expression. His artistic style is a translation of the experiences in his life and how he visualizes his memories. An abundance of vibrant colors, abstract shapes, realism and a strong contrast between lights and darks make up his imagery and composition. Vibrant colors and abstract geometric shapes are two pillars of Graffiti art. The chiaroscuro technique of contrasting strong lights and darks and realistic portraiture style painting are both at the core of Classical European art. David takes these aspects from these two different art worlds and combines them in an effort to further dramatize his imagery and display a wide range of artistic influences. His passion for the dramatic and appreciation for all art forms serves to illustrate the narrative of life’s experiences.

What type of music do you like?

hip hop, reggae, funk, soul/R&B

Website:

http://djtactics1200.com

Social Media (FB, IG, Twitter)

http://facebook.com/djtactics

Profession:

Music Lover, DJ, Graphic Designer, Artist

Location (City, State):

San Francisco, CA

Favorite Music Website:

http://mixcrate.com