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Paul Wysmyk, an artist par excellence.
Thursday, 16 September 2010 11:03
The pen might be mightier than the sword, but in Paul Wysmyk’s hand, it is art supplies that are just as lethal.
A household name in Toronto, his colorful mural in the alleyway of Jefferson and Atlantic Avenues in Liberty Village is charming with a fairy-tale ending. It starts off with the far end of the wall in shades of gray- dull and depressing industrial buildings.
However, the mural progressively gets brighter with each passing panel.
The end result? A surge of bright colors that represent Liberty Village’s creative community.
In this exclusive interview, Paul discusses his influences, artists he admires and the contemporary art scene.
Wysmyk has shown his work in many prestigious institutions including the David K. Gallery on Queen Street West.
Q: When did you decide to become an artist?
A: I was born in Hamilton, Ontario and was always interested in art as a child. As a teenager, I had just completed high school and moved to Toronto to study art.
Q: Where did you train?
A: I went to a school in Toronto called “The New School”. It no longer exists.
Q: Where do you get your ideas?
A: My inspiration is very deliberate and it starts with sketches. I go through two sketch books a year. There is an ailment of pop culture.
Q: What artists inspire you?
A: A very close friend of mine, David Bolduc who was a Toronto artist. His work was more abstract. He recently passed away. It was more his positive attitude and work ethic that inspired me.
Q: Is there symbolic imagery in your work?
A: Having travelled to Eastern Canada for ten years, my paintings are narrative because they are based on personal history. They are iconic and depict visual dialogue/visual narrative. I like them to have a very hand-made feeling.
Q: How would you describe your work?
A: My work is contemporary expression of my personal history combined with the society I live in.
Q: What challenges have you found in your work?
A: Yes, no stories in particular come to mind. But experimental work involves a certain amount of failure. A lot of it will fail.
Q: What is your greatest ambition as an artist?
A: My greatest ambition is trying to reach a broader audience and expand the network of audience.
Q: What is your greatest fear as an artist?
A: There is an economic fear of being in the art world, it’s challenging.
Q: What advice would you give young artists?
A: Study art history…inside out. A mistake a lot of artists make is trying to re-invent the wheel. All the ideas have been done before.
For more information about Paul Wysmyk you can visit his blog at http://www.wysmyk.com/
Laurice Gomes
Comments
Love your works, they're superb!
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