Roy Ruiz Clayton is a self-taught visual artist, songwriter & musician living and working in Louisville, Kentucky. Raised in the small steel mill town of Fontana, California, Roy moved to San Diego on his own at the age of 16, where he began writing songs. He would sometimes muster the courage to sing his songs on “hoot night” at the Heritage Coffee House, where the legendary Tom Waits was once the doorman. One night, in a back room of the Heritage, Tom played Roy a Ramblin’ Jack Elliott record on a turntable, and its sound - and vision - was one that would forever change the young Clayton’s life.

Roy set about to create his own category of songwriting, crafted by years of living the life and world which he writes about. His visual art reflects the same truths and curiosities. Clayton’s artwork always begins with people. If a person piques his interest, he begins with the face. “I put pen, paintbrush, colored pencils, ink, watercolor, and acrylic to paper and just start.” Dreams, imaginings, family history, culture, and music all become part of the image. Objects help tell a person’s story; color, texture, and pattern are of the upmost importance. By the time the painting is finished, Roy feels he’s gotten to know the person depicted.

Greatly inspired by Appalachian folk art, Roy’s explosive color palette and unconventional drawing techniques capture subjects in uniquely energetic ways. His distinctive style has graced gallery walls and album covers alike. His own musical endeavors, The New Army of Ragged Angels and Sanctified Soldiers of the Transfiguration of Light, showcase his dual talents in art and music. Surveillance is Roy’s largest solo show in recent memory, featuring around 80 original paintings, many of which are being exhibited here for the first time.