Gary Komarin - Painting Was A Way To Get In Touch With My Inner Self And To See The World With Fresh Eyes (Painter From New York)

Follow your passions and intuitions in life and they will guide you. Don’t force the work to move in this or that direction.

1. Tell us about your background and journey.

I have been painting all my life. Growing up in New York City afforded me the opportunity to see major works in museums at a very early age. For me, painting was a way to get in touch with my inner self and to see the world with fresh eyes.

Painting as a child is very different and then again not so different from painting as an adult.

One is drawn to paint and crayons and paper and brushes before one realizes the attraction and that attraction can also be more than visual but also textural or tonal or may even deal with the wonderful scents of paint and paper and clay.

2. When did you decide you wanted to be a painter?

Painting chose me as much or more than I chose it. When I was awarded a graduate teaching fellowship in Boston studying with Philip Guston, I had by that time decided to make a career of painting though I had no idea where that would take me. I had somehow the inner confidence to move this life of a painter forward. 

3. Is it a financially stable career?

For me it has been financially quite successful though for many it can be very difficult. One must wear different hats to manage a career with financial goals as well as other “hats” for creative energies and exploration.

4. Who is your favourite painter and why?

Like most painters, I have more than one favorite. But the list must include:

1. Picasso
2. Matisse
3. De Kooning
4. Rothko
5. Twombly
6. Giacometti
7. Morandi
8. Cave paintings
9. Childrens’ paintings

 

5. Where do you get inspired from to create art?

Inspiration comes from many many places. For me it is wide arena of so many sense impressions, visual images, assorted travel worldwide and of course the many faces one sees along the way in life.

It all goes into one dizzy ‘soup’ of memory and desire and it is from this soup that I pull what I need to paint.

6. What does your typical day look like?

My day may begin with a morning swim in my pool as I live in the country. I visit the studio early and come and go all day. I work on more than one painting at a time and for me multivarious visits to the studio are more productive than one long day. I like to keep the paintings fresh and alive and do whatever it takes to accomplish that. 

Music is very effective to create energy or change moods.

When I first awake I listen to the sound of many birds singing in my tall pine trees and maples.

7. What piece of advice would you like to give to future aspiring painters?

Follow your passions and intuitions in life and they will guide you. Don’t force the work to move in this or that direction. Rather let everything flow as best you can.

8. Which is your favourite book and why?

I have many favorite books. I read more non-fiction than fiction. I am interested in physics as well as poetry.

And am inclined to look at the big picture of life and the Universe. The magic and the mystery of everything. 

- Gary Komarin

- Interviewed By Anamika Ajith