ARTIST
Where would you say most of your inspiration comes from? My inspiration comes from people, books, dreams and magazines. Harmonious contradiction is something that many artists strive to find in their work; how are you able to find that balance of contrasts in your pieces? I seem to find it naturally in my work, perhaps because I sometimes feel I am a harmonious contradiction as well. Contrast must exist to make something exciting: the light and the dark, the beautiful and the ugly, the quiet and the loud. You were commissioned by Absolut Vodka to create a piece using their color palette; would you do any more collaboration in the future? Yes, I would. That was a great project. I loved having more than 200 people take part in deconstructing the original paintings by cutting out page-size pieces and reorganizing them on the large final canvas during the evening. Social curation is very powerful and becoming very popular. It was exciting and I am very happy with what came out of it. Do you feel a level of viewer interaction is important when it comes to your work? I think the level would depend on the type of piece. You always have to take the viewer into account in some way when creating. What was your vision/motive when you co-founded your gallery, Neubacher Shor Contemporary? It simply needed to be done. I have always been a huge supporter of the Canadian art scene, and the gallery allows me to support and take part in a multitude of different and exciting ways. Lazy Afternoon Humming
The Great Barn
How do you feel about the Toronto art scene? What would you like to see happen in the next few years? I think there is an incredible pool of talented artists here, and I would like to see the market get stronger so that the artists will get even stronger. I would like to see more challenging works being produced and coveted by people. There have been many art movements throughout the centuries, from Baroque to Dada; do you have a favourite? I find so much that I love in each of the many historical movements, it becomes difficult to point to one in particular. Like music, I enjoy listening and being inspired by many different forms, depending on my mood and what I am doing at that moment. That being said, I do have a soft spot for Abstract Expressionism. If you could pick the brain of any artist, dead or alive, who would it be and why? I believe it would be Mark Rothko and how he could achieve that amount of peace in his work so effortlessly. What are you views on specialty arts schools (eg. high schools) in Toronto? I think a strong focus is good, as that will lay down solid groundwork at an early age. To be heavily submerged in arts should help validate one’s passions. If you had any advice for an aspiring artist, what would it be? You must become a true believer; otherwise you will always doubt your choice of becoming an artist.