Burd Interview

Brett Varga

9/15/11

Artist Interview: Burd

**When did realize your passion for being an artist?

--I realized I was passionate around the transition from middle school to high

school. When I was fourteen turning fifteen because a lot more people surrounded

me. A lot of those people where also starting to draw or paint and that also influence

me to start really making art. The biggest spurt into producing a portfolio was

around 11th grade when I first took AP art.

**When did you first discover your style? Is your style evolving?

--I’m always evolving. By the time I was eighteen I was stuck on one style that

was very mixed media. Most of my pieces were “cartoony kind of thick bold

outlines”. Since then I’ve always done mostly the same thing. I hope my style is

starting to evolve more from that.

**What inspiring you? I’ve heard you use the term surf inspired art.

--I’m inspired by just going out in public, going out in the street, seeing

buildings and people. I’m a people watching

**Would you say it’s a reflection of VB’s culture (Virginia Beach)?

--Definitely.

**How do you find source material to keep producing new work? Does it just

pop in your head or are you constantly searching for ideas?

--I really don’t plan any of my canvases out I just start them with a general

idea. I might have a base for a character or a scene, but I will usually just freestyle. I

just add layers on layers to flesh out the piece. Layering is definitely part of my style.

**What mediums do your use in your work?

--I usually stick to aerosol, acrylic, and ink. I pretty much will use anything, but

oil. I do not like oil paint. I will seriously use anything except for oil.

**Do you feel your style is more consistent using mixed media or just one type

of medium?

--It’s probably more consistent when I used mixed media because I defiantly

get to incorporate things I wouldn’t be able to create myself.

**I see a lot of your art has text in it aka street art oriented.

--Absolutely.

**How do you promote yourself and sell your art?

--I could probably use the most work in that category you could say. I created a

facebook page it’s Art By Burd. I post most of my stuff on there as soon as I do it, but

I also have some work that is not on there at all. Also word of mouth is how the

majority of my business gets lined up. “Business cards, word of mouth, and the

streets, everyone is allowed to advertise on the street, I just write by my art on

people cars”

**Do you think you could benefit by creating your own website?

--Absolutely I think I kind of blowing it. I’m taking the semester off from

school. We are building an addition to my house, which will become my studio. I’m

also creating business cards and hopefully getting a website up soon.

**How should an artist promote themselves, are gallery shows still relevant or

is it seeming to move more into the digital space for promotion?

--I think a lot of stuff is digital. Especially when people are able to mobile

upload images and live paintings. Five years ago you couldn’t do that. You would

have to save it to a disc go home upload it and it would take like five hours. It is

defiantly the artist responsibility, but I feel like it’s really cool when there are people

in the community are supportive enough to spread the word and help you out in

that sense. You really have to promote yourself that why I say put it on the streets

were everyone can see it.

**What’s your opinion on street art being in galleries and selling for millions?

Is it against everything street art stands for and it’s beginnings?

--I definitely love that galleries are more open to street art and open to that side of art

because a lot of people don’ view that as it. I think it’s really cool to see that, but at

the same time it’s taking away from the free street credibility. You put it out there

fore everyone to see for free to create curiosity in the viewer, and it my seem like

your taking all that out of it cause you need some bucks, but at the same time it’s not

free to make art, you got to get money some how. I think it’s definitely acceptable

that people are into it enough to see it in galleries and pay that much money for it

**Where do you see yourself in five years?

--"Central America or I don’t know" I love surfing so I want to take trips for

that but at the same time right now my main goal is to progress my art. I want to

start booking some shows, maybe get in some galleries here pretty soon. The

contemporary art center is starting a thing called the young contemporaries and I’m

trying to get in that program, but it’s pretty tough.