I’m pleased to share with you a recent interview, conducted for Creative Arts Guide, with abstract artist and sculptor Ted Mikulski. Over the past year, I’ve received quite a few requests to interview Ted from readers here at Lisa’s Blog and at my old blog, ArtLOOK. Sooo… being ever so careful not to subscribe to nepotism, I must give the readers what they want! Yes, Ted is my creative and talented cousin… but that shouldn’t stop me from saying nice things about him and his work.
Ted Mikulski
CAG: Hi Ted, thank you for granting this interview. You started out as an architect and transitioned to art. What compelled you to make that move and how’s it going?
Ted: I did go to school for architecture and it is something that I love. However, I don’t love the slow unstable 9 to 5 ladder climbing that ensues after graduation in the profession of architecture (assuming you can find a job). Not that I don’t like to work hard, I just don’t like ladders. I have always had a strong passion for modern and contemporary art. I think art was something that was inevitable for me. I am loving every minute of it.
CAG: Do you find similarities between architecture and art or are they completely different fields/processes? Contrasts?
Ted: They tend to be similar in nature, though in architecture form follows function. It is not art’s job to serve any purpose, other than to draw emotional response from its viewer. It is, of course, important to recognize that architecture can most certainly be art, but I find that it is few and far between in this country. What I would really like to see is more installation art integrated into architecture.
CAG: You are an abstract artist. New England is a difficult venue for abstract art. What is your feeling about this?
Ted: Being an abstract artist is not an easy task in this area for sure. I always say that if I wanted to make a living in this state I would go paint landscapes or beaches. That is simply not the art I am attracted to. In many ways, I feel comfortable being an abstract artist in an area where it is not readily understood. I feel comfortable teaching and reaching out to those that have simply not been exposed to it. I like to create that which cannot be captured by a photograph. There are also other incredible abstract artists in New England that seem to be largely overlooked. Not because they can’t make it into galleries, but because it seems abstract paintings do not fit with the colonial suburban motif. I think it would be a wonderful gesture for a major museum to have a contemporary collective abstract show in New England. You would be amazed at some of the work no one sees.
Ted Mikulski 'It's a Party' 40"x30"
CAG: We agree!! Can you tell us a little about your process.
Ted: In terms of painting, my process is becoming more technique-based as time goes on. I do not use a brush directly to the canvas but instead lay the canvas flat and impose my paint through velocity and density. I generally mix 10-40 hues of color (depending on the project) and then alter the paint’s density. That way I can control how the paints interact with one another. The flow or movement of the final product can be control by gravity. A painting generally takes about 6-8 hours of constant moving and manipulation.
My sculptures require the same process mentioned above, though on a sculpted medium. My current sculptures are created from insulation foam and a fiberglass resin. I feel that they are an advancement of my abstract concepts. They allow me to work in space as well as color.
To complete the equation you add some music and a beverage.
CAG: As a relatively new artist, what marketing tools have you found most helpful to launching your career and why?
Ted: The Internet of course has been wonderful for marketing. The Internet is the new billboard, you just have to catch people driving on the right road. I have my website, seeabstract.com as well as my blog. On top of that I have taken advantage of the popular social media outlets, Twitter and Facebook. As mentioned earlier, abstract art is largely ignored in New England and the Internet has been great in breaking through that regional barrier. Also, since galleries and venues are scattered throughout the state, the Internet allows those curators to see the work instantly.
Of course with ease of presentation you have over-saturation of artists. I think it is important to remain focused and continue updating all your new work online to keep your fans coming back.
I also do not want to overlook the fact that in order to be considered a part of the art world, you must be active. I try to attend as many gallery openings as I can and support as many venues as possible. I find it to be far more exhilarating than being amongst 10,000 drunken concert fans.
CAG: You had a great opening at the Black Rock Gallery recently. What are your plans for the near future? Tell us a little about the NBMAA.
Ted: The Gallery at Black Rock was a wonderful gallery for my recent work. I have been showing at quite a few venues over the past couple years and after this exhibition ends, I will be spending the rest of the year in the studio. I am looking forward to creating work freely and not focusing solely on what needs to be in a specific exhibition. My next major exhibition is a solo show scheduled at Iona College in NY in 2011. My installation ‘Photosynthe-this’ which debuted at the recent opening has been offered to my favorite Connecticut museum, The New Britain Museum of American Art. There is no guarantee they have space for it due to its massive size but I would be happy to see it go to that wonderful organization.
CAG: With the release of your first book, Art is Dead, you’re launching yourself headfirst into the wider world of the arts. Explain the philosophy that drove you to write this book.
Ted: I have always been interested in art philosophy as well as the creation of art. The story I always tell is what happened when I first asked my first students at Tunxis Community College who their favorite living visual artist was. Only 2 students out of about 70 could answer the question.
Soon, after pursuing the topic of art in America a bit further, I found out that I was not alone in my feeling that art appreciation was at a major low point. It seemed that a majority of artists were disappointed about our current society and its relationship to art. I found that everyone in the art community seemed to be talking about it, so I decided it needed to be written about. I also tapped many of those opinions and included them in the book as a way to gather a more compelling outlook of art today.
CAG: Tell us how writing felt to an abstract artist as a form of creative expression.
super cool sneaks
Ted: Writing the book was an interesting task. I would often rationalize my thoughts in the book while I was painting. I would have to stop painting and quickly write down concepts and ideas that required further investigation. Like much of the art I create, I felt a thirst that seemed unquenchable until I completed the project.
CAG: Why/how do you choose the varying mediums that you work in? We love the sneakers.
Ted: Ha, the sneakers are the most fun for me right now. Truthfully, I would draw or paint on any and all mediums that would be presented to me. I would love to paint an airplane for example. I feel like so much of what is manufactured today is just that…manufactured. I think artists should be hired to paint or draw on buildings, furniture, cars, you name it. Speaking of which, there may be a Mikulski art car in the near future. Shhh.
CAG: Thinking back to when you first got into art, what were your original expectations and thoughts and how have those related to the reality of being a working artist?
Ted: That is a great question and one that young artists often do not consider. I have not been doing this very long, but when I first entered the art world I had lofty dreams of having my work in museums and traveling the world (I still might). It is not every artists intention to become the next Andy Warhol or Salvador Dali, but I think secretly we all have that desire to one degree or another. I think that dream is harder to achieve than becoming a rock-star, but I think that is what makes it so worthwhile. I believe that with talent and determination, an artist of any medium can achieve great things in the art world. The one crucial thing I came to quickly about being an artist is that talent alone is not enough. Without long-term perseverance and drive, the art will remain in piles on a studio floor. A working artist these days cannot simply be an ‘artist’. One must be a businessman, marketer, salesman, negotiator, and about 20 other things.
Regardless of whether or not one’s art becomes widely recognized or largely forgotten, it is not important. The only importance is the artist’s ability to express there innermost desires in a visual way.
CAG: What would you like our readers to know?
Ted: I don’t think anyone chooses art, I think art chooses the person. The ultimate high for any artist is being able to do what you love. I have been fortunate in that respect.
I often hear from friends and patrons that I should move to NYC since abstract art is undervalued here. But it becomes part of my responsibility to get my work understood and appreciated by those who don’t understand it. I think that is what art is all about.
There are some exciting new projects that I am presently working on. I imagine this will be an extremely productive year for me. I have quite a bit to explore and I am looking forward to it.
CAG: And so are we Ted. Please keep us posted on the news coming from your studio. Thank you.
This interview was compiled by Lisa Mikulski and Kyler Mikulski for Creative Arts Guide. At present, CAG is only available on Facebook, but we have a website coming soon. Creative Arts Guide is promoting fresh ideas and visions in the Creative Arts. We embrace all the creative arts in hopes of uniting the poet, the painter and the pianist. Please fan us on Facebook.
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