Run Mad:

a blog about life, art & the mind...

Oct 05

2009

Artist's Spotlight- Brent Adrian and His Meat

_MB_POSTED_BY admin in artists

Hi All! I have been hoping for a few artists to feature on this site & since the second most desired topic was in fact "artists & their art" here we are!! If you wish to be featured please feel free to contact me! At this time I will feature artists freely and just appreciate the content. Perhaps a little reciprocal advertising of sorts would help? Anyway, I would love to hear from you!

I decided to do the interviews in a brief 20 Questions style... I think as artists and lovers of art we can get really wrapped up in the language we use to talk about our art...we can get wordy (I am sooo guilty of this.) So I ask the artists who respond to the 20 questions to be brief. I love hearing what they have to say when that have to get down to the "bare bones" of what they do.

Enjoy!

Brent Adrian & His Meat-

Brent is a researcher at ASU here in Arizona and a painter. He is a the husband of a fellow art therapist friend and I am excited and honored for him to be the second featured artist on Run Mad Blog!!

Artist 20 questions-

1. Why do you make art? - in 5 words or less

Not good at much else.

2. Name an artist (living or dead) who you would like to be your mentor.

Anselm Kiefer.

3. Name an artist (living or dead) that you would like to kick in the shins...(this would generally be your least favorite artist.)

I think Elizabeth Peyton is extremely overrated.

4. Are you comfortable with the term "artist"? why or why not?

No, the word "artist" has been overused to the point where it doesn't really have any meaning. It gets thrown around to refer to just about anyone who does just about anything. I am more comfortable being referred to as a painter because it's more specific to what I do.

5. What is your favorite medium and why?

Oil paint because of its versatility. It's also very sensual- everything from its consistency to its smell makes it a very rich material to work with.

6. Least favorite medium and why?

I haven't had good experiences doing lithography, but I really admire people who do it well.

7. Does/Did anyone in your family make art?

I'm the only one that has pursued it in my education. Although my sister has been getting into photography recently. She's capturing images that are somewhere between documentary and portraiture, and I really enjoy what I've seen so far.

8. When did you first realize you had some sort of artistic talent?

I've drawn as long as I can remember. When I was a kid, I had a couple of things that appeared in comic books and the local newspaper. So that was probably the first time that I got any recognition for it outside of family and friends giving me praise.

9. Can art-making pay the bills?

Sure, that's possible, though not common. For me, it's not something I count on, but it does translate into money sometimes.

10. Do you think making art is therapeutic?

I can only speak for myself and say that art making is one of the most rewarding and also most frustrating things I've experienced. It has had some therapeutic value for me sometimes, though if I stopped doing it, I have to say that my life would be quite a bit simpler and I'd probably be easier on myself. But that's not how I make decisions about what to do.

11. Tell me about your most recent work of art....

Lately, I've been working on paper- the texture is organic and somewhere between panel and canvas. I've also been working with cold wax medium for the first time. The resulting finishes are matte and almost fluffy, which is a departure from the glossy surfaces I was working with previously. I've also been really trying to push the quality of the edges in the paintings lately. And the brightest highlights are always a challenge as they have to be very specific in terms of their shape and color. They end up getting repainted over and over until I get it right.

12. What is/was your favorite piece of art you have ever created?

I'll answer the next question along with this one. I don't really have an all-time favorite or least favorite. As time goes on, I like some better than others, but in general, I'm the most excited about the most recent work and tend to be less attached to older pieces.

13. Your least favorite creation?

See the previous question.

14. Sum up your artistic perspective or artist's statement in 10 words or less. (List form may be best...)

I like artworks that offer a transformative aesthetic experience.

15. Is art essential?

I'll ask ''essential to what?'' and then defer to Dave Hickey: "Why don't all of us art-types summon up the moral courage to admit that what we do has no intrinsic value or virtue -- that it has its moments and it has its functions, but otherwise, all things considered, in its ordinary state, unredeemed by courage or talent, it is a bad, silly, frivolous thing to do."

16. You are at your most creative- what time of day is it?

These days, I paint in the evening. This hasn't always been the case, but you have to adapt to different schedules as your life changes.

17. How do you tap into the creative flow?

Open a beer, put on some music, and get to work.

18. How separate are you from your art?

I'm not sure if this answers your question, but it's important for me to live with my paintings while I'm working on them. I usually have a few going at the same time, and my studio is at home, so I spend a lot of time around them even when I'm not painting. Some progress quickly, others take more time and they don't get put away until they're resolved or painted over.

19. Tell me about a project you wish you could do but can't- why can't you?

I miss working at a large scale. For the last couple of years, I've been limited by time and space constraints to more modestly-sized work that I can afford to ship and store.