Tyler Mitchell
Tyler Mitchell was born in Baltimore, MD, in 1979. Aware of his passion for the arts at an early age, he began painting in oils in middle school and has aspired to be a painter ever since. He won the Maryland Distinguished Scholars Scholarship for the Fine Arts upon graduating high school in 1997, one of only two awarded in the state each year for fine arts. He went on to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), graduating in 2002 with a B.F.A. in Painting. During his time at SCAD, he developed a love for various disciplines, including photography, 3D sculptural work, street art, and installation art. After graduating, Mitchell moved to San Diego, where he spent six years pursuing surfing—and mostly surfing. He also worked as a commercial journeyman finish carpenter for 15 years, a role that was instrumental in his artistic development. Upon returning to the East Coast, he focused entirely on his art. His attention shifted to photography for several years, where he immersed himself in creating unique, surreal, studio photography. These photos often served as mock-ups for his paintings, which, after experimenting with photography, were reinvigorated by his return to painting. Mitchell's work has been featured in over 60 juried gallery exhibitions and publications such as Surfing Magazine, ArtBlend Magazine, and Up.St.Art Magazine, where he appeared as a cover artist. He has also exhibited in the Surreal Salon at the Baton Rouge Gallery Center for Contemporary Art for the past seven years and currently exhibits with Arch Enemy Arts in Philadelphia. Tyler maintains a studio in the Graffiti Warehouse in Baltimore, where he continues to explore and create.
http://www.tylermitchellgalleries.com/
What initially drew you to art?
Freedom. Exploration. Release. Not being it, but merely being the conduit for something else to be born. That has its own life. Its own existence. That creative magic. That is what initially drew me to art.
What elements of your life have ended up becoming a part of your art?
Working with my hands for most of my life has been integral to my development as an artist. The use of various tools, techniques, and precision from working as a journeyman finish carpenter for many years definitely solidified my artistic practice and broke things down into steps, allowing me to build a piece from start to finish. I’d also be a liar if I didn’t say that early exploration with psychedelics opened doors to create a vision and imagination.
What about your practice do you find the most fulfilling and/or energizing?
The most energizing part of my practice is the discovery process and starting new works. Ironing out the details and new techniques to bring fresh ideas and visions to life, and building upon my established methods. The most fulfilling part of my practice is the completion of a work and seeing if it lived up to, or exceeded, my initial vision.
Tell us about your experience getting to where you are now. What has been the most important thing you’ve learned?
The main components of getting to where I am now as an artist are hard work and perseverance. Following my own path, doing what I feel is true to me as an artist, is what fuels that fire. Not falling into what others think or want to see me create. Ultimately, my art is about me, right? I need to please and impress myself to thrive. And if someone else enjoys it along the way? Bonus!
How has ‘community’ impacted your artistic practice?
I feel community is very important to my artistic practice. It’s like the saying, “If a tree falls in the forest…” Art needs viewers to become whole. To actually exist. That’s where community comes in. Once an artist creates a piece and puts it out there, it’s no longer theirs in a sense. It becomes the viewers’ or community’s to enjoy, digest, interpret, and give meaning or value to. I also feel community is hugely important to the success of an artist because you need to find the right audience for your work. Art patrons, critics, collectors—love or hate them—they are a vital component to the life, appreciation, and proliferation of your work.
