This is Michael Reeder

Interview by Crist Espiritu.
Artworks by Michael Reeder.

How did you get into art? Did you know early on in your life that you’re going to be an artist?

I was into it like most kids, but there was somewhat of an epiphany moment, if you want to call it that, when I was in kindergarten. A friend and I drew a Hot Wheel car and this kid’s drawing of the car blew my mind. It was the first time I was introduced to perspective drawing. He had the roof and hood angled back creating depth while my drawing was strictly in profile. Blew my mind. I was so hyped about it. From then on I was hooked.

What were your first art work like? What did you like about the art process that made you want to continue creating?

Well, early on it was mostly drawings of made up cars with huge engines and fat tires and it grew into copying everything under the sun in an attempt to learn how to render things as best as I could. I especially liked drawing album cover’s and specific photographs of cars etc. As a kid I was very much content with being left alone and immersing myself in the process of drawing something. I would literally sit at the coffee table for hours and draw. It was something that involved no one else, just me.

“I loved every element of it. The letter styles, characters, bright colors, the fast and immediate results it provided as well as the illegal missions my friends and I would scheme up.”

How did you get into painting murals (street art)? Tell us a bit about your first mural pieces.

I got into graffiti when I was maybe 14 years old and I quickly became obsessed with it. I loved every element of it. The letter styles, characters, bright colors, the fast and immediate results it provided as well as the illegal missions my friends and I would scheme up. Thats where my connection and passion for street art originated but I didn’t start painting murals until after I graduated from college and started working for a commercial mural company in Dallas, TX called Eyecon. That’s where I soaked up the craft like a sponge. From techniques to implementing certain time period based styles all the way to color matching and color schemes. I didn’t actually paint a large scale mural in my own style until, well, not even a year ago really.

“A theme that is consistent through out my work is the state of contemplation. I spend large portions of my day just contemplating new ideas or how to render something or analyzing an object in a particular light.”

Tell us a bit about your current style of painting. How did you arrive to it?

My current body of work originally began in an attempt to specifically move away from my paintings being centered around a narrative and an environment based space. So, I literally just reduced the content down to a single portrait. I was looking to implement a few ideas I had rolling around in my head in terms of a process and so I just repeatedly painted the same head or portrait, literally over and over. This eventually gave way to the concept of identity and I began to focus my work around reinventing this unknown persons persona through this newly discovered, to me at least, process.

“The fusion of multiple spaces or the creation of an image that’s an assemblage of different spaces is very rewarding to me as a viewer.”

Why are people portrayed so coldly? Like they are lifeless…very stern looking.

That’s something that sort of just grew on it’s own and my work started to take on a colder mood due to it. Once I would add specific’s such as rendered eyes or pupil’s the person would begin to lose that mood. A theme that is consistent through out my work is the state of contemplation. I spend large portions of my day just contemplating new ideas or how to render something or analyzing an object in a particular light. It’s like a safe place for me to exist in and therefore I place my figures in that same space of contemplation. It’s somewhat of a in between space, if you will. That’s why they all seem so dazed out and detached.

“Our identities are the result of a culmination of many parts.”

At first glance your works look like collages; like the images are from different photos and are glued together. It is great juxtaposition. Why do you feel the need to do this?

I really like to push what painting has to offer for both the artist and the viewer. The fusion of multiple spaces or the creation of an image that’s an assemblage of different spaces is very rewarding to me as a viewer. That’s the purpose of the flat patterning and large passages of color, meshing elements of more refined realism as well as painterly areas. The pieced together or collaged look I think lends well to representing the assembled nature of one’s identity. Be it specific past experiences coupled with fashion, race, gender, if you’re a smoker, your occupation etc. Our identities are the result of a culmination of many parts. For me the challenge is creating a sense of harmony and balance with these different elements.

“I think it really just comes down to the fact that I’m a fan of interesting surfaces. If I paint on a found object I am forced to respond to the unique surface and celebrate it rather than try to hide it.”

I noticed that you have often painted on found objects like wood panel and tincans. Why did you start doing this? Can you share a bit about your process of choosing materials to paint on? (what factors do you consider etc.)

I think it really just comes down to the fact that I’m a fan of interesting surfaces. If I paint on a found object I am forced to respond to the unique surface and celebrate it rather than try to hide it. Only a few times have I gone out specifically looking for interesting surfaces to paint on.

“I intentionally try to keep it pretty open throughout the entire process from start to finish in order to ensure the piece doesn’t feel too planned and therefore stale.”

Most of the time I just spot stuff on the fly, recognizing its potential and grab it up and take it back to the studio. I really dig old kitchen cabinet doors. They commonly have a nice layer of paint on them that’s decades old, with stains and nails or whatever. Good stuff.

“It’s a lot easier to take the commercial route and develop a mock up or design and then create it. It’s a lot more difficult to listen to and be open to where the painting wants to go. To take risks and be willing to fail.”

Your huge murals are visually very consistent with you studio pieces. Is there a discerning difference between your conceptualization process in making studio pieces and massive street pieces? Can you break it down for us?

Yeah, typically I don’t have very much time available to complete a large exterior mural piece due to the cost of equipment, and uncontrollable factors such as weather, etc. So it has to be more planned out and I need to have a pretty solid end goal in mind from the beginning. My studio process is quite different. I intentionally try to keep it pretty open throughout the entire process from start to finish in order to ensure the piece doesn’t feel too planned and therefore stale. I am constantly challenging myself to take risks on the surface. It’s very exciting and motivational to walk into the studio the following day and be somewhat shocked at what I did the night before. It’s a lot easier to take the commercial route and develop a mock up or design and then create it. It’s a lot more difficult to listen to and be open to where the painting wants to go. To take risks and be willing to fail.

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What’s been keeping you busy lately? Can you share with us upcoming projects you’re currently working on?

At the moment I’m working on a larger piece in the studio. It’s the largest studio piece I’ve done in years. It’s about 48” x 38” on panel which isn’t massive by any stretch but I have to consider the cost of shipping and whatnot, so yeah, it’s plenty large. I’m trying to push the fusion of spaces that we discussed earlier by implementing more precision patterning. This means more vinyl stenciling which can get super costly fast. Other than that I’m about to start a residency at the Red Bull House of Art in Detroit. I’m super excited about the opportunity to push my work further and as equally excited to see what I create.

“I’ve been making art for many years now so I can literally look back and see that growth is real and it’ll only stop if I allow it, and I don’t plan on letting that happen anytime soon.”

What keeps you inspired?

I think it’s just the innate desire to constantly grow. I’ve been making art for many years now so I can literally look back and see that growth is real and it’ll only stop if I allow it, and I don’t plan on letting that happen anytime soon.

Follow Michael Reeder on Instagram @reederone
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