“Thanks for coming to my workout,” said the breathless performance artist after completing one of his larger-than-life portrait paintings.
The artist was David Garibaldi, and he completed several of his large portraits of pop icons at Iowa State’s After Dark event at the Memorial Union last week.
Fans of “America’s Got Talent” mighty remember Garibaldi as placing fourth in the 2012 competition, losing to the dog act, Olate Dogs.
Garibaldi paints his portraits not only with brushes but also with his hands and by flicking the paint onto the canvas, oftentimes jumping—to the beat, of course—in order to reach the top of the canvas. It’s both painting to music, with brush strokes and flicks matching the beat of the music, and dancing as he paints.
It absolutely is a workout, with Garibaldi no doubt needing the commentary between paintings to catch his breath and wipe the sweat and paint from his face.
He shared his life story, from his days as a graffiti artist running from the police and dropping out of high school to eventually being transformed by seeing a Jimi Hendrix painting by artist Denny Dent. The vision made him realize how to combine his passions successfully in life—music and color or, as he said, “rhythm and hue.”
Garibaldi wants to inspire others to pursue their passions, to paint their portraits, so to speak, whatever they may be—a relevant and motivational message for the crowd of college students.
After his performances, his creations fetch $1000s, with a portion benefiting various non-profit organizations. Garibaldi set a goal of giving $1 million to non-profits by the age of 30. He accomplished his goal at 29, giving to such charities as the Special Olympics, Echoes of Hope, Sacramento Children’s Home and World Vision.
After painting an eclectic choice of portraits in his ISU show—The Weeknd, the Statue of Liberty and Steve Jobs—Girabaldi ended with a portrait of Einstein that he painted upside down, twirling the canvas to reveal the familiar face and ending his 45-minute workout to loud applause.
