It’s nearly impossible to pinpoint an exact moment when one discovers their artistic spirit. For some, it may be a childhood experience. For others, like Andrew Saftel, this “moment” reads more like a lifetime of discovery.
From attending an exclusive Rhode Island high school and working at a San Francisco carnival to immersing himself in the art and culture of London, Saftel’s varied and unique life experiences influence every facet of his work — literally and figuratively.
“For three summers, I worked the carnival games,” he says. “I saw a slice of life that is so human. Everything boiled down to what you can do with a quarter.”
Such poignant incidents form the basis of many of his mixed-media sculptures and paintings on wood. “My goal is to create images that reflect life and the world, and the memories that emerge from our experiences,” he says.
Using historical documents, maps, old letters, fabric, antique photos and assorted tools, Saftel assembles a fragmented albeit personal narrative in his paintings. “I use a router to carve or ‘draw’ into the wood,” he says. “From there, I fill in the lines with acrylic paint and embed found objects into the paintings.” As layers of paint are applied, others are removed — changing the “big picture” until the final product is achieved.
When creating his sculptures, Saftel takes a similar approach, using steel and cast iron to depict a 3-D story, so to speak.
Born in New Bedford, Mass., Saftel grew up in Rhode Island. Even as a child, the left-handed youngster loved to draw and credits his mother for enrolling him in his first art class. “The teacher had us copy a Renoir, and I thought it was great,” he recalls.

In 1977, Saftel moved to London, where he lived for a year. There, he learned that “art was really in the world and not just in books,” he says. “Seeing original works of art is when I became passionate about art.”
Though rooted in realism, Saftel admits to being hugely influenced by the contemporary art of California’s Bay Area artists. This appreciation
prompted him to attend the San Francisco Art Institute and earn his BFA in printmaking. “The art of that region has so much color. It’s less conceptual,” he says.
Upon graduation, Saftel worked briefly at a sign shop and then at the Experimental Workshop in San Francisco, where he collaborated with published artists to create limited editions of their prints. Both experiences greatly added to his sense of color and composition.
In search of a more peaceful place to call home, Saftel moved to Knoxville, Tenn., in 1986. Living in the South, he finds a connection to life that is continually reflected in his work.
“I used to face the wall and focus on one piece at a time, but now it’s more fluid,” he says. “I spread my attention across several pieces and try to do something different every day.”
Publicly, Saftel’s artwork is on view at the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia, and the Knoxville Convention Center and BellSouth Headquarters in Tennessee. In Orlando, Fla., his pieces can be seen at CNL Corporation’s headquarters and at the Orlando City Hall.
In addition, Saftel has had many solo exhibitions at venues in Tennessee, Georgia, Colorado and elsewhere. Last year, he showed his work at The Lowe Gallery in Atlanta and at Gallery Camino Real at the Gallery Center in Boca Raton, Fla.
It is through the past that Saftel gives us insight into the present and a glimpse into the future. “I’ve always been interested in trying to understand more about the lives, times, inventions and discoveries that have brought us to this moment,” he says. “My paintings are chronicles — atmospheres of thought, filled with words, images and stories.”
For more information on Saftel’s work, call Gallery Camino Real at 561/241-1606 or The Lowe Gallery at 404/352-8114.