One man’s trash is an artist’s treasure

For years, Devon Valentín-Dixon held onto the early versions of her work that most artists discard — rough sketches, color tests, post-it notes and preliminary drafts. Those materials are now on display in her debut solo exhibition, “Honoring the Scraps,” on view at An Beal Bocht Café through Feb. 1.

The Bronx-born artist presents finished paintings alongside their earliest iterations, inviting viewers to consider the imperfections and in-between stages that are typically hidden from public view.

“I really love the process, and I love saving the beginnings of things,” Valentín-Dixon said. “Sometimes I overwork things, or I overthink things, and it’s nice to know where you started. It’s nice to see where you were before something became what it is.”

The exhibition includes large canvases paired with small studies mounted in gold frames, some no larger than a post-it note. Several works are displayed alongside the sketches or photo references they were based on, emphasizing the shift from observation to paint and the decisions that shape a final image.

Among the largest works in the show is “You Were Made for Me,” a painting that grew out of an unconventional, unusually shaped canvas Valentín-Dixon found outdoors.

“I didn’t know what to do with it,” she said. “I was holding it upside down for a while, like a teardrop.”

The finished piece depicts a chrome-colored arm holding a bouquet of flowers, an interpretation of a photograph the artist took of her husband holding the arrangement.

“I was like, ‘You were made for me — you were manufactured for me,’” she said, explaining the contrast between the organic flowers and the metallic hand.

Early sketches and color tests for the piece are displayed nearby, revealing how the image shifted through multiple iterations.

Another work, “Unmoved by a Miracle,” is based on a photograph Valentín-Dixon took while traveling in Japan. The painting depicts a man seated by a train window, absorbed in his phone as a spectacular sight looms just outside the frame.

“He paid for the window seat, and you could see Mount Fuji, and he didn’t look up once,” she said. “It drove me nuts, which is something we all do. We’re jaded.”

Several smaller works in the exhibition originate from figure-drawing studies Valentín-Dixon completed while sketching in museums. Pieces titled “Venus” and “Martinique Woman” are paired with their original drawings, some dating back several years.

“I revisit my garbage,” she said, laughing. “I’ll go to a museum, get inspired, and then look back and realize there’s something there I want to return to.

The approach reflects her broader philosophy, which resists the idea that only finished work deserves attention. In “Honoring the Scraps,” early materials are treated not as drafts, but as a central part of the work itself.

“I felt so silly putting the post-it in a frame, I cannot tell you,” Valentín-Dixon said. “But these things usually end up in the garbage. With exhibits, that part isn’t really put out there, but creative process is cool. It’s fun to see the seed kind of grow into the flower.”

Accessibility is central to Valentín-Dixon’s practice. A former art teacher at the Riverdale Y, she continues to host paint nights for children and adults. She priced the work across a wide range, with some of the smallest pieces available for $30, while the framed post-it note is priced at $10.

“I want everything to be accessible,” she said. “Art’s very, like, sometimes a little elitist. I don’t want people to feel shut out.”

That ethos extended to the opening reception on Jan. 16, when Valentín-Dixon hosted a raffle giving away prints.

The venue itself holds personal significance. An Beal Bocht, a longtime hub for local creatives, regularly hosts readings, open mics and exhibitions. Valentín-Dixon had previously shown work there and reached out when an opening became available.

“It felt like I was at home in the best way,” she said. “It felt like a great way to start the year. I’m really trying to enjoy where you’re at. Try to appreciate the beginnings of things.”