Some artists look to the heavens or the horizon for inspiration. Not David LoPresti. His focus is down, where the sparks of his creativity rest on mundane, functional, and often historic manhole covers. When he finds a potential subject—often in the middle of a street—he overlays a piece of canvas for a rubbing and then takes the canvas back to his studio to create wall hangings that are replicas of the manhole cover.
His unusual art stems from his exploration of industrial arts and his career in the aeronautical industry, where the LoPresti family made airplane parts for some 30 years in Vero Beach and Sebastian. When they sold the business in 2019, this son of the founder turned his energies to making his unique style of art.
Today he is a frequent exhibitor at local art shows and strolls, and his canvases, prints, and photographs of manhole covers decorate homes and offices in Vero Beach and beyond.
“My wife, Leah, and I travel around the country looking for what I deem are interesting manholes,” LoPresti says. “A good example is this one,” he says, pointing to a favorite in his studio/gallery on 7th Avenue in Vero Beach, “with a beautiful image of a sailfish. We found it in front of a popular Latin restaurant in Fort Pierce.”