01/11/2022
We had an incredible opportunity to interview Andy Hirst. Andy is a brilliant artist and we are extremely excited to share this interview with you.
You can find Andy’s art at our gallery and on his Instagram
https://instagram.com/andyartstudio?utm_medium=copy_link
- Dear Andy, what initially inspired you to be an artist?
I would have to say my family. I come from a very creative background … my Mom is a dress maker and an all-round creative soul. My sister can do anything … design, draw, paint, interior design, art direction, sewing and much more. She is definitely an ideas person. My dad is a musician and other family members also do creative things. Growing up in this sort of environment inspired me to explore my creative side from a very early age.
I was always fascinated by all kinds of art as a young lad too. I fell in love with the ‘usual suspects’ from my first exposure to them … the likes of Picasso, Jackson Po***ck, Rothko, Matisse and Frida. I was as impressed with their vision and creativity, as I was with their attitude and outlook on life … independent thinkers and individuals who I immediately realized were authentic, driven and had real purpose. I knew this was my thing and what I wanted to emulate.
- Wow! This is incredible. Why and how did you decide to become a painter?
Apart from soccer, it seemed to be the only thing I cared about as a child, and the only thing I was really good at, so it was no-brainer almost a necessity really. I always had the desire and need to create and obviously still do. I learned that if I didn’t regularly express myself creatively, I would often feel ‘off’ or frustrated … depressed even. As it came naturally to me and I practiced a lot, I always thrived school-wise with my art which obviously encouraged me to press on and see how far I could take it.
- How did you develop your current style?
It was all born out of a piece I did for a friend while I was a student. It was a collage of Salvador Dali made up of black and white newsprint. Everyone loved it and asked me to do more so I started developing collage portraits over the years arriving at the point I am at now. The original piece was pretty basic but quickly evolved into a more layered, complex and detailed style. Like most art, it is still evolving and developing which is great as I always strive to grow and learn as much as possible.
- Were there artists that influenced your current style?
To be honest, not really and if there is it is more on a subconscious level. I think I may have seen work of a portrait comprised of magazine pieces which was of a very basic nature which sparked my interest. Collage wise, I have always been a fan of it. Last time I was back home in England, I came across some of my art from high school and art school which was in the attic. Funny thing was … it was predominantly collage work, even my sketch books were mostly collage, which I don’t really remember doing. A lot of it was various paper stock samples layered and arranged to from various images. I have obviously always had a thing for collage … the texture, depth, rough/edgy nature of it.
- What is your favorite thing to draw and why?
Definitely people especially faces. Probably the hardest thing to do but the most satisfying when you get it right. You can tell a lot about a person from their face, the eyes especially. They can say so much and evoke many emotions. I also like doing faces, especially classic pop-icons, because I love to put my spin on it, taking a well-known image and making it my own. Again, layers upon layers of magazine pieces, words and phrases to reinforce what the certain person is/was all about, usually positive and uplifting words to emphasize the good in people.
The challenge with portraiture is if you don’t nail it, the image can start to look unlike the subject and be difficult to rectify, especially with peoples eyes … get them off and the whole image/look changes. Every piece of magazine counts!
- What was the most exciting thing in your career so far?
Its difficult to pinpoint one thing. It is all fantastic … the fact I do what I love and get compensated very well, a real win-win! Exhibiting in Art Basel Miami has been a highlight, as has been doing various commissions for celebrities. Another highlight is having one of my collages displayed next to an original Picasso in a mansion that was being sold. It is just nice to have my work in demand and have some prominent art collectors want my creations on their walls.
- What inspires you nowadays?
The same as what has always inspired me, the drive to get better and make art better than the last piece. It has never been about the money, its about the process and the authenticity of the work. It is a fine line and can sometimes be frustrating in the sense that you always have to stay focused and humble in order to take constructive criticism and therefore improve, but you also have to get satisfaction from it and know when you have done a good job, or at least the best you possibly could at that moment in time. The art has to be done from the right place and with the correct intentions.
- What do you do on those days when the ideas just aren’t coming to you? And do you have those days?
I learned the hard way to never force it. If its ‘not my day’ or things aren’t naturally flowing, I don’t work, otherwise I end up having to redo the parts I am working on or the results are nowhere near where they should be. Its counterproductive to work on days like this. I even have days where things are ‘just doable’ meaning I can perhaps get good results on the background, but I am not in the headspace to attempt facial features. When neither of these are happening for me, I will usually play it safe and go through magazines collecting words, phrases, and images for that commission or maybe for a future one.
