Last fall Dan Lasata told CL contributor Brad Tilbe that he began painting at 8 as “a way to escape into my own little world.” The 32-year-old transplant from Peyton Place, N.H., put on a memorable first solo show at Kahwa South in St. Pete, using found objects rather than canvas. His warped beings are animated, disturbing and breathtakingly detailed, with a stunning use of color. It’s no wonder Lasata’s work on skateboard decks has gotten him exposure nationwide. With influences as varied as Shel Silverstein, M.C. Escher and Thomas Campbell, he appreciates the different muses artists share, and explored this curiosity in May by curating Sanity Through Creativity at Studio@620, a great show that pooled an unlikely group together. danlasata.blogspot.com.
