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Mickey Edtinger : Austrian Artist Gone California :: Interview

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Mickey Edtinger aka Mickey Me is an Austrian ex-pat artist currently residing in California.  His pieces are interesting and otherworldly at times with an emphasis on alien landscapes, robots, women and plants.  He is showing his work in a new show entitled “The New Breed” at Last Rites Gallery in NYC on July 31st.  Prior to his show he offered a peek at his work and answered a few questions we had for him.

1.  What inspires you when creating art?
I usually dream away during work, driving or even a movie…building “Luftschloesser” (air castles).  I see something that awakes my interest and then it’s like an avalanche of thoughts.  However, usually I add and change while the work is in progress many more times. My series are motivated by different thoughts. For example, the Grim Brother’s fairy tales in my first, the “Alptraum” (germ. Nightmare) series or political as in my “Dream Factory 1926″ series. And now my latest series called “Concezione Romana” (it. Roman Conception) was motivated by color, effects and techniques. I try to awake the curiousity of the observer by creating a mysterious atmosphere.

2.  Describe a typical day when you’re coming up with ideas for your pieces?
Since I work at the Art Supply Warehouse in Westminster, CA I am always surrounded by creative minds.  It’s easy to get inspired in an environment filled with artists.  It’s usually a combination of new ideas and innovations and materials.  I am the training manager at my store and therefore I read and study up on everything we offer.  Then naturally my head swells up like a balloon with new and crazy projects.

3.  What is your philosophy towards art?
Ever since our trip to Europe I am working on changing and maturing my philosophy. I try to enjoy the moment rather than focusing on a goal.  Of course you should have a goal but relax and make the best out of every brush stroke.  I used to be annoyed when things took too long or were too hard. Now I take everything as a challenge and take my time to make every piece perfect. I learned how to be patient and it fills me with great joy.  If you always strive for this goal then you will always be running after that mirage that seems to move away and away the closer you come. So enjoy the path you are on, look forward but don’t try to run the distance, try to inhale every second and strive for perfection until you are happy.

4.  How did you go about deciding that you wanted to become an artist?
I never really decided that, it just happened. I always liked arts and crafts. My mother is a principal at a kindergarten in my home town Salzburg, Austria so that’s where I got my love for creating. Then later when I first met my wife, she really encouraged me to pursue art and make a career out of it.

5.  What’s it like to be an Austrian in the California scene?
Less stressful than being an Austrian running California…or trying to anyways.

6.  How affected are you by the media when you’re creating a piece?
Not at all, unless it is political, which was the case in my “Dream Factory 1926″ series.

7.  How has the artistic community in California treated an Austrian ex-pat like yourself?
Great, people here are generally nice and helpful.  The majority doesn’t even take real notice of my heritage and treat me just like any other local artist. …sometimes good, sometimes bad I guess.

8.  What can you tell us about your new show?  What pieces are your favorites or would like to showcase?
Ever since I went back home this winter, I visited Rome as well and had a vision, a moment or whatever you want to call it where I came to terms with the icons of the Baroque and Renaissance. I felt the urge to produce work theirs alike, work that is more mature and richer.  That’s why I abandoned my “green” color palette and started to focus on more natural tones used by the old masters in these periods. As you can see on my 3 latest paintings “Triangular Observation”, “Die Kraft der Frau” and “Cardiac Arrest”, the layering and glazing, the meticulous planning and the subject matter are more pleasing due to their aesthetic but are also deeper and richer due the techniques used by historic giants like Caravaggio, Rubens, Rembrandt, etc.
Fortunately I must have been somewhat of a nice guy in my past life and Karma rewarded me somehow. I locked out and was accepted as one of about 10 artists that have been chosen to be part of a feature show at the famous LAST RITES GALLERY in Manhattan, NY called the NEW BREED show (Opening reception July 31).
Also, a brand new art magazine, the MAGARTZONE.com, is preparing a feature of my work in their next issue.

9.  What other artists would you say are influences -
Definitely my friends Nick Wildermuth, Ted von Heiland, Anna Chung, Dustin Myers. But of course some of the more established ones like Chet Zar, Michael Hussar and Shawn Barber.  I am sure I could fill this page with names since there are so many talented artists out there.

10.   What music do you listen to, what music inspires you?
I listen to everything, my IPod is filled with all my music and that of my wife.  That guarantees a full spectrum of music. However, since I grew up in the 80′s I find myself often skip forward to the next 80′s tune. I did a couple of album covers for heavy metal bands like SquidBucket and Bloodvoid, which are now on iTunes.  The funny part is though that I was never a huge fan of metal but metal liked my work and that’s how we eventually connected.

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