Introspection and Discovery. An Interview with Artist, Paul Fernandez-Carol.
What inspired you to become a fine artist?
I enjoy the challenge of making images. I’ve always made images my whole life. It’s not really a choice, more like a “healthy habit”. When I work, I like to juxtapose marks or images and give myself the challenge of seeing how I can make them work together. Some marks are random and serendipitous, others are planned and methodical, but both work to satisfy a need for introspection and discovery.
What are the challenges of being a fine artist?
Aside from the challenges associated with making images that are personally satisfying, the hidden costs of promoting yourself and presenting your work in a professional manner can be very expensive. This is the challenge of every artist, in every field. Another problem I face is in my working methods. Because I work without knowing how my final pieces will look in the end, it is tough to know the final, finished state of many of my works. While it can be pleasing to follow your inspiration wherever it may lead you, it is not always a satisfying journey. When you work for weeks and weeks, and it seems as if there is little progress, frustration and disillusionment begin to eat at your confidence. At times your work feels lost and lacking direction. When this occurs, I find that the best thing to do is to put the painting down and start another one. A good example of this is a painting that I started 12 years ago. There was just an egg shape figure with a spacey background. It just never felt finished, so I left it. One day I took it out and hung it on the wall. This was just to see what I would do next, what could be done to “solve the puzzle”. A friend looked at it, and said he liked it, and his compliment encouraged me to work on it and finish it. I find it very interesting to pick up old work and see how it fits in with more recent work. Sometimes you learn a lot about how much or how little you have progressed in certain areas.
In regards to that painting that took you 12 years to complete, what made you stop working on it?
It has to do with the process of painting, mostly. There are times when I really don’t like to paint. Drawing is more satisfying. So drawing will steal my attention, and it usually delivers quicker results. I like that I can get twice the amount of images from drawing in the time it takes to make one painting. Comparing drawing with painting, drawing is immediate and it can’t change as much. Painting is so easy to change and it makes everything take longer. Decisions are easy to change, and sometimes you pay a price for that.
What is most rewarding about being a fine artist?
I like the sense of discovery I get by putting myself into a challenging visual problem, and then working my way through it. I often learn a few things about myself in the process. Also, I really enjoy making things that only I have control over. Nothing but my own aesthetic is what is guiding me.
What advice would you give to young fine artists?
Well, I certainly have not made a lot of money from my art over the course of my career, but I have gained an enormous amount of satisfaction in making and showing my work to the public. I would say that this is what art should be about, creating and presenting your ideas for others to see. If you can do enough to get those two things accomplished, you have plenty to feel good about in the world of art.
Would you encourage other inspiring fine artists to take the same path?
Actually, I wish I had done more self-promotion! (laughing) The business side of art is tedious, but it is necessary. I can honestly say that, with respect to showing your work, the more you try, the luckier you get. It may be an old adage, but it is a true one.
Did you have support from close friends and family when you were aspiring to become an artist?
Not financially, but encouragement has intrinsic value. It is great to hear that your work inspires another person. For example, my mom was a teacher and she encouraged my talent. I remember my mom complimenting my artwork when I was just four years old. I guess that it was one of those things that were interesting to me, and people said I had a knack for. So I kept at it, and it became a daily habit. Considering all the bad habits one could have, I think this one is pretty tame.
If your mom never encouraged you, do you think you would be where you are today?
I believe that it is more nature than nurture. Although it was nice to get positive feedback from my parents, it was a natural inclination and instinct that led me to make pictures and draw constantly. Art has always been a constant in my life.
Did you save artwork from when you were four years old?
I think I have some saved artwork from when I was around seven years old. They are in a box somewhere in the house.
You mentioned a few artists who have been your source of inspiration. Can you explain how they have inspired you?
For drawing, the artists that have inspired me are Barry McGee and Jeremy Fish. Barry McFee is an urban illustrator who draws people and shapes. Jeremy Fish is an illustrator who draws skulls and animals. McGee draws people in a cartoony style, and makes them look very surreal. These are really prolific drawers who carry on the doodle ethic, drawing all the time with different variations to their themes. These are top artists but they are taking real and surreal elements and making them work. I really like how imaginative these people are.
The fine artists that inspire me are Rowland Penrose, Picasso, Tamara De Lempicka and Magritte. Penrose painted things that are well-rendered and recognizable, but he used heavy paint with lots of texture in his work. I love to paint with texture, as it gives the painting a third dimension to think about as you look at the work. Picasso works in a doodle style- he has command over lines and volume which is impeccable. He followed his inspiration to wherever it would take him and he came out with something beautiful. Tamara De Lempicka is another interesting artist. She had a good command over shine, volume, and line work. She was self-taught. Her figures are very plump, rich and volumetric. Her style is very distinct and something I haven’t seen too often. Magritte created surreal imagery and he understood the principle of art very well. He always pushed himself. He took elements of randomness, created images that don’t make sense, which are very haunting. He grabbed elements and put them together. The end result is surreal, haunting, powerful, and he drew them very well. They seem to be random at times and other times on purpose, but always very powerful. Lest I forget, I cannot leave out the amazing Mario Martinez, MARS-1, from this list. His work is just so imaginative and his paintings are so space-like and creative, that he deserves a real mention here. I only wish I could paint like him!
Your profile on your website mentioned that you are a teacher of bilingual education. What are your views on bilingual education and how has that impacted your artwork?
I recognize that there are disadvantaged people all around us, which have made me more sensitive to what people do to survive and raise their families. There is an urgency of immigrant families providing their children with English and education, to give their children a fighting chance. Their children need to master English and adapt to new social norms in order to thrive. I see a lot of parents working three jobs, all for their children to have a fighting chance. This has made me more attuned to their challenges. In my artwork, the one with the egg and body, the focal point is that someone being in a jail cell, except the landscape is a moonscape. I liken it to the feeling of being a stranger in a strange land, and not feeling comfort in either environment. In another painting, there is a figure inside a riverbank that is either drying or filling with water. There are elements of being foreign, in an alien environment.
Are these themes reoccurring in your artwork?
It’s hard to say I consciously work on them, but these thoughts do cross my mind as I work. I often think of immigrant families and what they talk about inside their homes when they sit at the dinner table. I wonder what they think about the much-used label called “amnesty”. I believe they contribute to our society but they are not being recognized for their contribution. Instead they are being hunted down and used for political gain.
Describe in one sentence how you feel when surfing.
The profound freedom of focusing and connecting with the natural world.
How long have you been surfing for?
For 27 years.
Have you ever competed or gone professional?
No I’ve never competed. I never liked the competitive aspect. But in terms of pecking order of surfing, I would say that I’ve learned a few things, so I’m pretty good (laughing).
>Interview by d/visible managing editor Ruth Hwang.
