At age twenty-five, I am proud to say that I am a product of the digital generation. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise defined my childhood as easily as Nintendo games and the Walt Disney Corporation. With mass-produced commercialism and computerization at the helm of our cultural and personal development, it seems that everything has been done and is ready to move over for the next “big thing.” Twenty-seven year-old abstract artist Ted Mikulski acknowledges this and embraces it, as both a challenge and an opportunity to upgrade visual art while still holding on to the aesthetics of yesteryears.
Me: It’s great to have you back on The Expressionist…I read on your blog that you recently went to Europe. What sort of impact did such an experience have on you artistically?
TM: My fiancée and I went to…Greece, Italy, Iceland, Ireland, and England. It was something I never experienced before; you draw tremendous inspiration from old-world masters…There wasn’t much contemporary work but so many old-world works. Since I teach art I know these works [from textbooks], so being able to see it was phenomenal. There are subtle nuances that you don’t catch.
I think it reiterates the fact that art should be something of time and historical value. The quality of my work has to be tip-top and continue to explore different avenues. I was in a natural history museum in Dublin, for example. Old-world building, with preserved animals and skeletons…so I started thinking of sculptures with fabricated bones…that kind of inspiration you can’t get anywhere else.
Me: What did you bring back with you philosophically to use for your own pieces?
TM: I think philosophically I was blown away by these, especially Italy. I was blown away by Renaissance artists, even old works from Greece and Rome. The whole point of Rome was to be remembered and that’s why contemporary artists do what we do; we want to live on. We’re in a creative field based on the fact that we can be remembered. It’s about the longevity of your creation…it’s reinforced why I do what I do and continues to keep me motivated.
Me: From what I saw on your blog, street art in Iceland is quite creative and insightful. How does it compare to American expression?
TM: Iceland was beautiful…I’m a big street art fan; I was [blown] away by the fact that Europe has a much longer artistic history, and America’s a very young country. I think the appreciation for art is there. They don’t mind having public art, they don’t clean it up…we give graffiti art it’s legal laws but it’s not really accomplishing anything…If we had any aesthetic towards street art I think it would thrive here in the States.
Me: Did you draw any graffiti?
TM: I continued a project called Tweets for Life. I’ll find interesting quotes from people and it’ll coincide with people in real environment. I type them and print them up on sticky paper so I can stick them in random places. I did that in Greece, Italy, in grocery stores…on shopping carts.
Me: There are a lot of video game icons and cartoon characters in what you call, “Potpourri,” or “Random Works of Awesomeness.” As a member of the current generation, I really liked these works and loved seeing these characters presented in such a creative and personal way. What sort of significance do these works have on your overall art? Do you feel they’re deeply relevant or are they simply just fun to draw?
TM: There’s so much behind them, it’s the memories from when you were a kid. It’s interesting, all these capitalists making money has become personal, lifelong memories for us. I think being…27, and growing up in the early 90s and late 80s, I think for my generation these are the heights of capitalism, for these icons to be burned in our brains. All that stuff, not only is it funny to me cause it brings back memories, but also an ability to inspire from it. I love abstraction; [it] can also be humorous. I love humor and I love comedy.
Me: Bearing these pieces in mind, do you feel that technology is detrimental to visual art?
TM: That’s a really good question. I think technology has been great for visual art. Artists choose not to embrace it properly, [but] as artists we’ve been using new technology. Now we have bits from new media…I can look up great pieces of art anytime, from anywhere. Disconnect comes when people get distracted by it. When they could be looking at art they’re looking at videos of cats playing the piano…It’s a great way for artists to be seen like never before, but you have to be careful with what you’re doing online to have it matter.
Me: Do you think the Internet could move art forward, or is it setting it back?
TM: It could absolutely move it forward! Revolutions happen through YouTube and Blitz. I think to ignore that as an artist is very silly. The world we used to live in, you know, hang out in studio, work really hard, and then someone in a suit comes in and says, “You’re the next big thing.” It’s not like that anymore; you need to be out there marketing yourself.
Me: People have to sell themselves.
TM: You have to be your own personal cheerleader. Recession weeds out what artists will and won’t be here. Doing art once in a while is one thing; for those who want to be full-time it’s harder than ever.
Me: Many of your pieces have a 3-dimensional quality to them. Is this method of painting inspired by our generation’s demand for media to literally pop! or is this more from your architectural background?
TM: Great question; I think it might be a combination of both. I think, for me…this generation demands more than ever. They can go to museums and be bored by technical art. [They] demand higher standards; dimension has to be there. I’m producing sculptured works and 3-D works; for me it’s more grabbing and more expressing. The “paint” has been done billions of times in history and it’s time to be exploring different materials and…be completely expressive.
Me: Of all the forms of art most Americans don’t understand, I feel as though abstract art has the worst reputation. Most feel it is someone simply throwing random paint on a canvas and saying, “Here, now pay me.” How would you describe your abstract work to someone with this opinion?
TM: I think that’s understandable. A lot of it has to do with money. We have really simple art in the modern era from the 50s and 60s where people would paint a square in the middle of the paper and now they’re worth $10 million. I think it offends people in a lot of ways. I think…if money wasn’t involved, they wouldn’t get so offended.
[But] I think it’s the most pure form of art. If you’re going to paint still-life, you’re just re-representing what’s out there. Abstraction is ultimate; there are no preconceptions of what you’re seeing, you’re inventing it, creating it, starting it.
Me: I personally love that abstraction shows the raw emotion behind a subject rather than just the subject itself.
TM: For a lot of people that’s hard to except, that art is just emotion. The subject is the canvas, color, movement, it’s not deciphering a person or a car or a tree. Most people have a difficult time doing that and it involves education and conversation. They won’t spend time looking or thinking. Abstraction’s still fairly young; it’s still 70 to 80 yrs. It may be a matter of time before abstraction is up there.
Me: Do you think it will be?
TM: I hope so. I’m a huge supporter of it obviously. I think a lot of artists gravitate towards it; it’s freeing media, and some people do buy it.
Me: Do you give yourself any rules with your abstract work? Many of your pieces, though wild, are pretty comprehensive compared to other works. How do you decide what to channel and what tools to use in the wake of such a loose form?
TM: In many ways, I have concept of color and feeling and what the basic premise of the piece is. When I first started I went with how I felt, and if it came out good I was happy. I’ve been doing it for years and [now] I have a better idea of how things will work. It’s become more of a scientific process, then the emotions come through. That’s when you really get free and start working on it…with abstraction you combine so much paint, action, movement; it takes a part of you with it. I think most artists feel that way.
Me: I like the car you have posted on your website. What drove you (author’s note: pun intended) to paint your car?
TM: (laughs) I got bored with cars always being a same idea. [A] huge part of American society, all solid colors. It doesn’t seem natural to me; I just decided I would start drawing on my car. Of course people were warning me against it, you know: resale value will go down, insurance will go up, [I would] be getting pulled over every five seconds. But then I thought, why worry about it? If I did, I wouldn’t have [become] an artist in the first place! So I stripped the clear coat, a friend at a body shop helped me…I drew it with paint pens, then covered it with another clear coat…It gets attention everywhere, definitely a conversation piece. People going about their daily lives, doing the same thing over and over, then they see my car and it’s a break from all the [monotony]. When routine is broken by a few seconds of art, it can be pretty powerful.
Me: Cars are a vital part of our world; they help us go about our daily lives and become a part of us personally. Why, do you think, more people don’t personalize their vehicles?
TM: Well it’s time-consuming; mine took over 180 hours. People get scared to make cars individual; they’re an expensive investment. It lacks a certain flair and human ability. They’re all manufactured, we know what they all look like; there’s no surprises. It makes life pretty mundane. Putting art on a car seems such a great thing, to have a rolling piece of art can be a powerful thing. I do drive it all the time.
Me: So when can you paint my car?
TM: (laughs) I want to paint another car. I’ve had a few close offers for motorcycles. I do by hand with paint pens, so it takes time and effort. It also takes the right person to want to commit to it.
Me: Do you paint on other kinds of products?
TM: I draw on everything. We live in manufactured worl; nothing has that personal touch, nothing is hand-made or really special. I add art to whatever I can and do it in some way that’s really meaningful. Everyone’s determined to keep things pristine and factory-fresh. I think people are afraid.
Me: What do you see on the horizon of your artistic future?
TM: I think there’s a lot going on. I have a solo show in NYC next year, an amazing accomplishment. For me, my work will continue in complexity and if quality doesn’t continue to go up, they should stop. Quality should be a staple, you want to have quality in what you make. I’m just going to continue in longevity…trying to one-up myself. Whether or not I can afford it, it doesn’t matter, art deserves to evolve.
Me: Do you have anything you’d like to share with artists and would-be consumers?
TM: I think art deserves to be seen and it deserves to be appreciated. I want to expose my art to as many people as possible. I think for art lovers and admirers…if you love my work that’s great, but continue to seek out other artists. It should be up there with music and film and be important in everyone’s lives. Artists are some of the hardest-working people I’ve ever met…I think, to have a following, is a nice touch to all the hard work. People think artists want to do it for themselves but they…deserve the recognition for all their efforts.
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