Something out of Nothing

Based in Fort Myers, Florida, Tony Gaglio says his work employs themes from contemporary art, abstract expressionism, and the psychedelic experience. You might surmise as much from his works’ titles—Astral Messenger, Halogen, High Life, Cytoplasm, Ascension, Brain Feeder, and Anubis Gateway, to rattle off but a few. Other images are hash-tagged with keywords such as #symmetrybuff, #trippy, or #abstracters_ anonymous. For someone who claims to make art in his spare time, the wealth of images on his social-media channels is impressive. “I have been working in graphic design for around six years now,” he says. “Previously, I was only well versed in illustration, but it quickly died out for me as a hobby once I really discovered what my computer was capable of.” Like many folks, Gaglio came to psychedelic Photoshop imagery from an illustration background, but he soon realized what the digital world brought to the equation. He was able to translate the subjective into a recognizable reality. “When looking at the capabilities of a computer as opposed to the freehand from an artistic perspective, I see more use in my abilities with a computer to be able to create something than what I could do with the utilities of the traditional artist,” explains Gaglio. “The digital world allows me to truly illustrate and portray the images of my imagination, along with the ease of use and short time span.”