by Bob Freyer
Artist Block, this will be a biweekly column for sharing my thoughts on art and what has helped me to grow as an artist. The plan is to talk about the different frustrations I have as an artist from dealing with artist block to growing as an artist and dealing with technology. I will also talk about different products I use, how to approach galleries and curators, as well as a wide spectrum of the issues that us artists face.
To start this off, my name is Bob Freyer. I am an artist in the Pittsburgh area. I think one of the hardest tasks to do is putting my art in a category or genre. I look at my art and I see me, parts of me and my past, or a glimpse of a thought I had. If you’ve seen my work I’m sure you will find it to have some pop culture influence, reference, or mention. Visually I don’t hide my thoughts or inspirations. I’m a child from the 80’s and 90s. I grew up at a time when cartoons were very valuable. Cartoons like GI Joe, Transformers, Heithcliff, Looney Tunes and all the Saturday morning cartoons and shows impacted me to this day. Even after the shows were over, my daily life as a kid still inspires me as an adult. Looking through my work you I think it’s obvious to see my pop culture reference in the work. I’ve painted pop culture images from Star Wars to Hip Hop icons like Tupac and Biggie.
Adding a twist to pop culture with my own flavor—My obsession with bunnies is something I will expand on in another write up. Some of my personal artist influences are Andy Warhol, Basquiat, Julian Schnable, Jeremy Fish, Mark Rothko, Robert Nava, Gregory Siff and others play a part as inspiration. If I’m forced to put my work in a category, it would be considered to be pop/outsider/contemporary.
As artists we take influences and inspirations from many places. As I said, my childhood plays a big part in what I paint. There’s time that it’s obvious about the inspirations, and sometimes it’s not so in your face. Being that I have two young kids I’m always seeing new trends for them and their age. I like to share my childhood with them through shows and pictures. These two are in a generation that is learning to use technology very fast and at a young age. Even with the instant videos, games, and other media at their fingertips, they are still using their imagination and excluding technology from their play time. It’s wild to see them come up with their own games and stories. Seeing this happen right in front of my eyes is very inspiring. It either takes me back to a different time in my life, or takes me into their world, and seeing through their eyes for a moment. That’s truly inspiring for me.
It’s not just my kids’ cartoons and movies that inspire me. I love Hip Hop, and I have since I got the Beasties Boys Licensed To Ill cassette tape (yes I’m that old) back in 1988. Hip Hop has had a huge impact in my life, and I like to think that the elements helped mold me into the man I am today. From my personal thoughts to what I project with my art. Each of the elements: emceeing, deejaying, graffiti, b-boy and knowledge all have contributed to my life in some way. I prefer music with lyrics that have meaning, I prefer a deejay that actually scratches and doesn’t have a media playlist on their Macbook. I’m very inspired by graffiti even though I’m not a good writer. Graffiti is having your very own artistic style and not giving a fuck what anyone thinks. B-boying is something that always stood out to me for having your own style and owning it while knowledge is something that is always changing and improving.
Until the next Artist Block.
Paint for yourself
– B
Bob Freyer is an award-winning artist from Pittsburgh, PA who paints images from an alternate world. Since 2013, Freyer has been showcasing work in Pittsburgh and has participated in numerous shows throughout the U.S.
PETRICHOR 