CA: What made you first start drawing?
TA: When I was a child, I would walk everyday to go to school on a particular street. There was a fine art shop with the front window filled with brushes, oil colors, canvases, bottles, and a lot of strange things for me at the time. I still can’t explain it but there was some kind of magic coming from this special shop. I was curious about those tools more than anything else. A few years later with the money from my first summer job, I decided to buy some of the things I used to look at in the store window. I was living in a small town which made this quite expensive. When I got home, I started to unpack my treasure and it was like an explosion. I was free to do whatever I wanted; to create, to draw, and to paint. A world of possibilities with endless stories just started on this day between me and the action of creating art.
CA: When it comes to art, what sparks a piece for you? TA: The history of art, paintings in particular, but I’m curious about everything. There is always a new exciting point of view to have about the world around us. Everything is in motion and I think painters were always able to understand that and translate it.
CA: What helps you get in the mindset to draw something? TA: I work everyday after midnight. I need to be alone, I need music (very loud) and here in Berlin there is this Maté energy drink (I’m really addicted to it) to keep a good rhythm. When I start to feel relaxed, generally listening to my inner voice, my instincts is the best thing to do. I dance sometimes ridiculously (I even laugh), I can create only when I’m able to create this cloud of positivity around me .
CA: Do you have any inspiration from art (heroes)? TA: I love so many of them : Picasso, Braque, Basquiat, Beckmann, and de kooning. The german expressionism as well as the chance to be surrounded by talented friends, it helps a lot.
CA: What do you feel in front of a blank canvas? TA: A rush.
CA: What do you do to improve on your craft? Techniques? TA: I work a lot (never stop), work everyday at the same hours. It has to become a part of you. Always look to the bright side and be curious to try new things . I sincerely believe that if you try harder, you will succeed.
CA: What is the perfect piece of art to you if it exists? TA: It does not exist. It’s mythological, it’s a grail. I think maybe that’s the meaning of a artist life. To look somewhere new (like an unknown land) and try to find this unicorn….
CA: How do you describe your style? TA: Wild and expressionist . Colorful and encrypted. Filled with life I hope.
CA: Do you prefer pens, pencils, or a brush when it comes to creating your artwork? TA: I use a lots of things. I draw with charcoal, pastels, oil crayons, pure pigments, spray paint, but I always use oil painting. I don’t use canvases anymore (if I do, it’s rare). I love working on paper (big pieces of paper). its not the same experience Paper is softer and more fragile, you have to stay delicate even when you feel you are losing control.
CA: Do you have a favorite piece? TA: Every time I speak to someone who really loves and understands one of my works, it creates a story. Sometimes I can see a painting of mine differently after that . But at the end (and quite often), the favorite piece is always the next one to come .
CA: And the biggest opportunity for growth in regards to art you have as of right now? TA: I think that I was lucky to meet Dominique Polad-hardouin, who decided two years ago to defend my work in Paris when nobody knew what I was doing. Now she is gonna take my work to New York in January for the Outsider Art Fair and continue to defend it in France upon her return. I think there is enough passionate people like her to defend my painting everywhere on this planet, I just need to meet them.
CA: What is fun and rewarding for you in regards to drawing? TA: When you enter somewhere and there is one of your pieces of artwork on the wall in the right place. You suddenly feel like you are a part of something bigger and that’s really egocentric of me but feels rewarding to me.
CA: Where do you want to take your career in art? TA: I want to be able to show my work to different kind of people. I want to travel, collaborate with other artists from around the world, and continue to build my universe stronger.
CA: How do you want your work/portfolio to be remembered for? TA: I would like people to understand that the meaning of my work Is not so different than the meaning of their lives. Its about experiences, life/death, and about what we are sharing together which is a spark of life
CA: What is the best advice you can give someone with a strong desire to do art like yourself? TA: Be strong, it’s not gonna be easy. Try to discipline yourself without being extreme, believe in what you are doing without being blind. And enjoy each minute where you are free to express yourself.
Follow Timothy Archer on his IG @timothyarcher, his tumblr blog, his facebook page, and his website