Interview

Sep 2

Levon Ravenell

Born in March 1991 in North Charleston, South Carolina, Levon Ravenell is a multidisciplinary artist whose creative trajectory spans music, film, and the visual arts. Initially carving out a career as a musician and producer under the moniker Mercury Rhodes, he has since shifted his artistic focus to painting and fine art under his own name, embracing a practice that harmonizes technical rigor with emotional resonance. Now based in Charleston, Ravenell’s current visual work continues this narrative of transformation. Recent pieces such as Self Care (2024, oil on stretched canvas) and Untitled #7 (oil with metallic leaf) embody a meditative fusion of texture, form, and reflective surfaces—melding the material finesse of painting with a compositional sense akin to musical rhythm.

Ravenell’s approach is defined by fearlessness and curiosity: he layers paint and leaf to create tactile interplay, weaving in surprising detail to draw the viewer beyond the surface. His past as a producer informs a distinctive visual language—each brushstroke evokes mood, tempo, and story, inviting introspection through abstraction. Beyond technique, Ravenell shares a reputation for authenticity and experimentation. His canvases are contemplative spaces—quiet yet expansive, intimate yet universal—inviting audiences into worlds shaped by introspection and discovery.

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“My creative journey has traversed music and visual art—starting as a musician and producer under the alias Mercury Rhodes, and now flourishing in the world of painting and fine art under my given name, Levon Ravenell. I have always been creative since my youth as it was my way to connect with people as a shy introverted child. As I went through life however I focused more on music creation after my near fatal car accident in 2009. Years later, I moved to Los Angeles after the passing of my grandmother and fell back in love with painting as it was a different outlet and world from my day to day life as a musician. It was friends of mine at them time that encouraged me to share my work online which began gaining interest and that was the kickstarter into going Down this path.”

What inspires you?

“I’ve always been attracted to storytelling. Throughout history, storytellers have been used as tools to pass down legacies, important lessons, etc. that’s followed me through my whole life from the entertainment industry to the visual art world. So, while I tend to get inspired from various sources; talking to people, traveling, other artist, music etc. I see myself more as a conduit for people whose voices often go untold.”

What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?

“With whatever medium I use, I try to tell a story. I create my artworks in series more than one offs, so each series is like a different story with their own stand alone meaning.”

How would you describe your work?

“The beautiful thing about art is no matter what my intention is, you’re only going to see what the culmination of your life journey has lead you to perceive when you look at any of my works, crafting your own story about the characters or subjects that I’ve painted. With that being said, I believe the convergence of my past as a creator in sound and my present in visual form channels a sense of rhythm, mood, and narrative into each canvas I believe my art invites quiet introspection and discovery. Another form of storytelling.”

Which artists influence you most?

“I love the work of the old masters, who stands out to me most is Caravaggio. Recently though more modern artist have had an inspirational impact on me because I love the uniqueness of their styles this includes; Alex DiPaola, China Winji, Jochen-Muehlenbrink, Calvin Clausell Jr people like that.”

“The beautiful thing about art is no matter what my intention is, you’re only going to see what the culmination of your life journey has lead you to perceive when you look at any of my works, crafting your own story about the characters or subjects that I’ve painted.”

What is your creative process like?

“I’m a conceptual artist. I typically have to have some sort of theme or idea before I start. While I can get inspiration from any where once I focus on a central idea I try to look at it from different angles and explore the different possibilities of said idea. I flesh out my pieces based on that and then I try to seek out what materials will bring that to life from there I paint. A lot of prep work happens before hand honestly especially with the materials I have been working with recently.”

What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?

“Artist have always been like time capsules for their own time a reflection if you will of the time. From the materials they use, to the subjects of their work. With that being said, I believe as we evolve as humans becoming less reliant on our own resources, labor, and identity as we have known it. And more reliant on technology we will be evolving more important as what I would say as the perseverance of what it is to be human. To create, to think, to dream, to imagine, to turn nothing into something. Yeah that responsibility will continue to fall on our shoulders.”