Here is an artist whose work inspires me. I really enjoy his digital collage work. Please read further to get to know the artist Marco Suarez.
1. Were
you always an art kid, or did you stumble upon it later in life?
I
was interested in art ever since I can remember. When I was very
young, I would ask my older sisters to draw for me so I could watch
them. Then I would try and mimic what they did.
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| Bird Collage I. |
2.
What style of art is your favorite and why?
I
don't know if I have a favorite style. I enjoy most any style of art.
As far as creating, I'm drawn more toward photography and printmaking
than I am oil painting or drawing. Some people enjoy art because they
appreciate the technical ability of the artist. I appreciate that.
But more so, I'm interested in the emotional response. How does this
make me feel? And do I like how it makes me feel? But I am a huge fan
of the Pop Art era. Artists like Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, and Roy
Lichtenstein.
3.
What do you use for inspiration, or how do you generate ideas?
Big
cities and nature.
I
travel quite a bit. And my wife and I love to explore cities. I love
finding little cafes, shops, or restaurants. I love how you can
create an atmosphere in a cafe or shop that generates a particular
emotion. I'm very interested in how you respond emotionally to a
space. So I'll try and find little details that explain why I'm
responding a certain way to a space, take note of them, and try and
replicate them in my work to capture and repeat that emotional
response.
The
same is true of nature. Milton Glaser said that you never really see
until you draw. So I'm trying to train my eye to see the details I
would only ever see if I was drawing something. I took a walk through
a redwood forest recently and just wanted to sit and stare at a tree
trunk all day. I think most artists are inspired by nature. It's kind
of the ultimate inspiration.
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| Empire 2. |
4.
Walk us through your creative process from idea to finished project.
This
is obviously always changing, but my circle prints start with a
photograph. I love doing things like renting a car, picking a
direction, and just driving. I love getting lost. Recently I did this
in California and wound up finding some of the most breathtaking
views I've ever seen. So I take the photos with my DSLR, go home or
back to the hotel, and start playing with them. I do most of my work
digitally. It's funny how artists either accept digital work or hate
it. I see it as just another tool. I'm sure people were also
intimidated by photography when it became an art form.
I
generally don't know where a piece is going to go. I just start
playing. Like I said, I'm interested in the emotional response, so I
allow the photo to tell me how it wants to feel, then I try and push
more into that.
But
sometimes I start with the emotion and pick the photograph to fit
that. For instance, I was greatly inspired by U2's song Get on Your
Boots and created the piece called Empire. I picked the photo,
colors, textures, etc to fit the way I was feeling.
5.
What is a typical day in your life?
This
is probably different than most artists since I don't do this
full-time. So my artwork is relegated to late nights and weekends.
It's the way I unwind from the stresses of working for a start-up. I
generally start around 7 or 8pm and work late. Everyone's in bed,
it's quiet and it's just me, my headphones, and a cup of good coffee.
I do my best thinking and work from 10pm to midnight. Not really a
sustainable model.
 |
| Glowing Forest. |
6.
What do you think draws you to other people's work?
I
have a couple circle prints I made from photographs I took of the
smokey mountains. I had someone tell me they grew up in Tennessee
mountains and moved away while they were still young. But these
images captured exactly how they remembered the mountains. Like a
memory. And that nailed it for me. When we remember things in our
mind we attach the way we felt to them. And that alters the image. It
makes it more intense and magical than the reality. And some people
have a hard time remembering those images. They're distorted in their
mind. And when people see my work, it makes that image clear again.
That gets me so excited.
 |
| Heat. |
7.
What are your interests/hobbies?
I
absolutely love branding. My philosophy of branding is identical to
art. How can I make a person feel? I love it. I'm also a musician. I
play guitar. Occasionally write songs. Compose music. I love making
coffee. We moved into a new house to fit our growing family and my
wife and I are having a blast decorating it. Basically, I don't care
what I do just as long as I can create. So, creativity is my hobby I
guess.
 |
| North Shore. |
8.
Is this your full time job, or do you have a job out-of-studio?
I
work for a start-up called Zaarly as their lead designer. It's a
full-time and sometimes more job. I currently am a man without an art
studio. A year ago I moved out of my studio and in with a coworking
group where I lack the space for a true studio though I occasionally
take over some table space to create some textures or something. But
since most of my work is digital, this is manageable.
9.
What is your favorite piece you've ever made and why?
Whatever
I'm currently creating. The two that have sold the best is Painted
Tree and Coast. Those are some of my favorites because of how people
fall in love with them. But I'm most excited about what I'm creating
right now, which currently from photographs I took in California.
10.
What advice would you give to an artist just starting out in the
business world?
Learn
business and take advantage of technology. I know amazing artists
that work at Starbucks because they just don't get how to market
themselves. And get a mentor! A mentor is critical.
 |
| Painted Tree. |
11.
Describe your work space.
Since
I don't have a formal studio I'll describe where I pick to work. Like
I said earlier, I'm interested in how spaces make you feel. So I'll
find a place like home, coffee shop, park, wherever that energizes
and inspires me. Since I work mostly on my laptop, that makes this
easy.
12.
Did you face any setbacks on your path to being an artist?
Um,
everything. It's hard. Most people don't see art as having a
function. They hang it on a wall or set it on a shelf. So people are
hesitant to spend money on something they don't see having a
function. And for a long time I didn't sell much. But I started to
hit a stride and get some recognition on Etsy with my circle prints.
People really started to take notice because of how they connected
with them. That's when things changed.
13.
What milestones, goals, or achievements are you striving for right
now?
I
see art falling into 1 of 2 camps: decorative art and high art.
Decorative is generally cheaper and people purchase it to help
decorate a room. Once their tastes change, the art gets ditched. Then
there's high art. This is generally more expensive and people buy it
as an investment. They're interested in the artist's career and look
at it as part of their permanent collection. And they generally
create a stronger deeper bond with the artwork. I want to see my work
and my career fall into the high art category.
Thanks!
Marco
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Thank you Marco for letting us get to know you a bit better. You can also find Marco here:
Website: http://marcosuarez.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/marcosuarez
