Artist Interview: Miguel Chavez

Today Im interviewing Low Res Program artist Miguel Chavez

Lucinda interviews Miguel:

1.What would be your ideal working environment? I am oddly comfortable working both indoors and indoors. But if I had to pick it would be my home studio. I have an ok set up and it's also the best lit room. Honestly it's usually quiet, I try to avoid having a tv or any music playing.

2. How do you collaborate with others? If you haven't yet, how would you like to collaborate with others? 

I would absolutely love to collaborate with others. I have previously worked on a play with an entire group of students, musicians and dancers. It was a rare opportunity, but the collaboration was exciting due to its spontaneity, sharing of ideas, and overall enthusiasm from the participants that truly appreciate what they do.

3. What inspires you? How do you use your inspiration?

In a way, I find inspiration from visiting museums and galleries. At times I’d copy a composition from another picture or attempt to paint in the style of some new gestures I discovered for myself. I would also include that I find inspiration in the mundane tools for everyday life. I draw and paint regular houses, like house plants, cups, and windows.

4. What is your ideal audience for your work?(gallery, private collection, online platforms, etc.) That's a great question because I have always thought to focus on private collections. However I have been more and more interested in the online platforms. I do see the extent to which it can provide an additional layer of exploration for your work. 

5. How has your early life/family influenced your work? I believe my early life did influence my interest in art growing up. As I think about it, my family wasn’t really interested. As early as I could remember, as a child, I was fascinated with drawing. I believe it was an early habit that I carried around ever since.

6. Does art help you in other areas of your  life? Art is a great way to never be bored I feel. More and more as this program goes on I find so many new projects, artists and even casual meetings. It fills my life, I would say with the enthusiasm to explore. I could add that it provides the enthusiasm to attempt to make art in-between chores, riding on a train, waiting around in a lobby. It provides a far more interesting way to live your life.

Miguel interviews Lucinda:

How would you embrace the virtual platform of the Low Res program?

In think I have a good network of artist friends and opportunities to engage in studios in my life at home, so I would lean into that to replace the social and inspirational aspect of the residency. As far as the online classes, I think the pandemic helped everyone get used to functioning in an online world in a way. Im planning on using the local DC museums to augment the art history course and also rely on my usual collaborators to help with in person critiques.

If you were to have an exhibition with a large collection of your work. What genre or period would you be most connected with?

Currently my work would be easily categorized as abstract expressionist, but I’m in a transition to a deconstructed expressionistic look. Im not sure where it will end up and it may just be an experiment. If I would do a large show I would want to show my latest work because that is where my passion is, solving the latest puzzle.

At what point, class at school or artist, would you credit with opening your eyes to the world of art?

I’ve always painted and had a curiosity about art so I couldn’t pinpoint the early starting point, but my dive into abstract came about 4 years ago. I took an evening class in abstract painting at a local art league in order to work on color. The instructor had such a unique way of approaching painting in abstract, by looking at the work of a few pivotal artists, then setting us loose to do whatever inspired us. I was set free, with direction. The instructor didn’t tell us what we should be doing, he just gave us ideas. That set me on my current path and I haven’t run out of ideas yet.

Which ambitions or changes in your art work have you experienced so far in this program?

My ambitions are the same, I am concentrating on making the work first and foremost. The shape of my work is changing, and was on this path when I got here. Early critiques have helped guide my direction, but I think I was looking for a new direction when I got to this program.

What historical figure(s) would you identify inform your practice and medium?

I love the work of Willem de Kooning. I don’t use his palette or forms but I generally love the freedom in his paintings. More recently I’ve been thinking of the work of Robert Motherwell, the large gestures, shapes, and color palette. I’m very excited about the paintings of Gutai Group artist, Kazuo Shiraga. I find the philosophical approach of the Gutai Group speaks to me as well as the violent movement within his paintings, although I don’t think I’d try to paint with my feet