Alexander Yulish Interviewed by Portray Magazine

The Portray Magazine interviewed VillageOneArt collaborative artist Alexander Yulish to reveal the artist and his painted, enchanted world.

DP:  There are these strokes in your work. Is it a fan brush?

AY: No, it’s a technique I have; the way I move the brush, it’s a mood and intense. There’s a release while it’s happening that I can’t explain, but I enjoy it!

DP: Tell me about finding yourself in the process.

AY:  I was watching a movie, and in it, someone said, “Your narcissism is so mediocre” I thought it was one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard – I don’t even know how I arrived at that, but I try to laugh at myself a lot and find humor in it. I think my artwork is not original. My artwork is about the human condition.

DP: Have you ever done work, put it on the side because you weren’t feeling it, went back later, and thought, this is amazing! What was I thinking?

AY: Yes, I have felt that! It’s so funny when you say to yourself, “Oh, it’s amazing, it’s so good, this is a home run”, and someone walks by and doesn’t even look at it for two seconds; it doesn’t even resonate with them.

I remember being at one of my shows. I looked over and saw someone, and it looked like they literally got punched in the stomach when they were looking at a painting. I was like, “Oh God!” and I was so happy they really emotionally felt it. Then I literally saw someone else look at it for like a second, look at their cell phone, walk around the show, look at their cell phone and leave. (laughs)

Sometimes, it takes you a little time to understand something; those are my favorites, and other times things have to be incredibly visceral. It’s like how you approach life, like sometimes you listen to a piece of music. Listening to jazz is very uncomfortable for me; it’s almost too much how I feel, the disjoints, the ups and downs. It can be too personal.

If you listen to it, the soundtrack of my life would be mixing with the same thing, and you will have that rage for three seconds, then soothing, then bounce back again.