Speaking of Art with Adam Graham

2015/10/15

By M.Sebastian Araujo

Amid the flurry of falling leaves and the bustle to take those last long looks at the outside before heading into the warm fireside of memory …

Adam Graham

I had a chance to chat with a Artist who has found a Home,Art and Life all in Provincetown. Someone who seems to have found something that resonates in his soul and comes alive through Art!Have a peek and find out just what makes Adam Graham’s work so groovy…

What in the World around you affects your Creativity?

Creativity to me is simply problem solving. Creative aesthetic satisfaction however generally comes from an abundance of energy and the good luck to have the opportunity to express it. Being well fed and rested, safe, secure and generally happy greatly facilitates creativity. Suffering and privation, despite the cliché of the starving artist, is not a very productive methodology.

What changes do you see in the ART scene today…?

The merger of art and science especially material sciences seems to be the future of art in its broadest sense. Beyond that artificial intelligence will be a game changer. Google’s Deep Dream program is just a glimpse of the strangeness around the corner. My next paint brush may be a sentient robot.

What in Your Life inspires your work?

As an observational painter reality or realism is my subject. Studying reality, drawing from it and being drawn into it, digging deeper into the nature of truth and chasing the sublime is what gets me out of bed in the morning… or around noon.

What makes ART sell?

Depends on the price point. Something a few hundred dollars need only be charming. A few hundred thousand dollars and it better be profound and retain its value at auction. What the buying public considers to be of value has a lot to do with the zeitgeist of the day and who the influential voices are championing. Most art criticism seems to me incestuous existing for its own sake. Good art criticism is even more rare than good art. I read an article by a famous art critic who said he regularly saw 30 or more art shows a week. I think anyone beat over the head with that much art couldn’t possibly maintain objectivity or a fresh eye. That kind of excessive exposure would pervert anyone’s aesthetic.

Was there a « shining lightbulb » moment in your career when you realized that you were an artist? If so what was it?

I always drew a distinction between being a painter and being artist. Painters make paintings but they may not achieve the level of art. It couldbe hack work or kitsch. And artists make art though they may not use paint. I always called myself a painter because I was consumed with the craft. When I turned 30 I started getting good enough I felt I earned the title of artist.

How hard is it for an Artist to survive in the world we live in today?

Its not hard to earn a portion of one’s living through art. But to earn one’s living exclusively through art requires absolute faith, dedication and sacrifice. And a lot of luck and support. I don’t know if that’s ever been easy.

What is it about Ptown that keeps you and other creative people living there or coming back ?

I moved here from New Orleans in 1999 and have lived here ever since. Its beautiful and safe and the quality and variety light makes it easy to do good painting. What truly distinguishes Provincetown though is there are probably more writers, artists and generally smart, creative people per square foot than anywhere in the world. Its cool people that make this such a cool place.