Interview with Kendrick Mar
q) Well, first of all please tell us a little about yourself.
a) I am a painter based in New York. My work is metaphorical
self-portraiture that explores childhood emotions and trauma.
Originally I am from California and grew up there. I studied art at
the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
q) Had you always planned on being an artist (or had you other hopes)?
a) I didn’t become an artist until I was a 4th year university
student. I took a drawing class and the teacher and other students
encouraged me to pursue art. When I realized I wanted to be an artist,
I didn’t finish my studies at the university due to practical reasons.
I worked for a few years and saved up, then went back and attended art
school when I was 29.
q) Do you have a preferred medium to work on? Why?
a) I work in oils because for me, it’s the most flexible medium. It
doesn’t express it’s limitations.
q) How would you describe your style?
a) My style has a rough, childlike quality. The compositions are very
simple and use a lot of primary colors and thickly textured paint.
q) Do you go through any certain processes while trying to produce your work?
a) Usually I do a lot of free drawing in order to find interesting
motifs and ideas. When I find the ones that resonate, I then work them
into more complete compositions. Sometimes I do color studies. Then I
transfer the drawing onto the canvas and develop it from there. The
most important stage for me though, is getting a strong idea that I
can carry through to a finished painting. It seems like the best ideas
come when I’m not trying too hard to find them.
q) What are you working on at present?
a) I have a few things in the works, but it’s better for me not to
talk about them before they are finished.
a) A recent source of inspiration is children’s books.
q) What are some of your obsessions?
a) Getting gallery representation in New York is probably at the top
of my list.
q) Which galleries have you shown at and which galleries would you
like to show at?
a) I was in a group show at the F.U.E.L. Collection in Philadelphia
recently. I am currently in the process of researching the gallery
scene in New York.
q) If people would like to contact you, how would you like to be contacted?
a)
info@kendrickmar.comhttp://www.kendrickmar.com
starting out?
a) My advice for artists just starting out is this: Believe in what
you have to say to the world through your art. Question the agendas of
people who try to discourage you from pursuing your dreams.
q) Who are your favorite artists?
a) My favorite artists are all the old masters, plus a lot of
contemporary artists including Ross Bleckner, Jean-Michel Basquiat and
Damien Hirst.
q) What books are on your nightstand?
a) Right now the books on my nightstand are Murakami’s "Blind Willow,
Sleeping Woman", a children’s book by Taro Gomi and a sketchbook.
q) To what weaknesses are you most indulgent?
a) Hmm… sushi?
