Erick Mota Interview | Respect the Artist
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Erick Mota’s artwork ranges from modernism, surrealism, and abstract – reflecting the world around him and the inner workings of people and human experience. Using primarily oil paints, Erick encapsulates psychological aspects of the natural world, human tendencies, feelings, and emotions conveyed through art in a constant search to interpret the world in which we live.
How did you get into creating?
I was always creating art as a kid, especially since I was surrounded by a house full of artwork created by my father. He is an artist, but he did it as a hobby, keeping his work personal and meant for only his family to see. Every day it was inspiring to see his artwork immersed on every wall in the house, which constantly promoted ideas for future works of my own. While he worked mainly with acrylic paints, I began learning oil painting techniques to try to find my own niche. It wasn't until about 5 years ago that I became more serious about putting my ideas into practice, resigned from my job as a retail manager, and became a full-time artist, while also being a full-time Ph.D. student.
Where are you from?
Staten Island, NY
How did growing up in your neighborhood/city affect you?
New York just has its own culture. From the people to the food to the language, NYC is just a multicultured melting pot that stylistically influences us in every way. Growing up in Staten Island, you needed a car to go from place to place, but I would often go to Manhattan just to walk around and take in the energy of the city. To this day, I still prefer walking around certain neighborhoods of Manhattan, rather than going to a beach. There is just something magically unique about this city, in every borough that can't be found anywhere else.
What did you do to advance your skills/knowledge?
Being an artist is a lot about observation and interpretation. As someone deep in studying psychology, I believe my advanced education has propelled me to be more self-aware and understand and explain situations in ways that helps my ability to articulate my genuine "inner voice." Therefore, through art, I can tell stories through personal experiences, ideas, memories, and beliefs, and imaginatively execute them with a sense of adventure.
What does your current setup look like?
I am in the process of building a new art studio in the basement of my house. After recently getting the basement waterproofed, I moved my large easel and art supplies in the basement. I plan on putting new lights in there, painting the floors, and having some graffiti artists decorate the walls with some NYC-inspired artwork. In the new studio, I also have various paintings I purchased from artists that I admire. I don't always like having my own work in my studio. Instead, the works of other artists can be inspiring when taking a break from painting, as I sit there and try and interpret their inspiration, reasoning and vision behind the work. I use oil paints, so I have an industrial air purifier to minimize any strong fumes. I like to usually listen to hip-hop and R&B loud on speakers, or with headphones, while I get in the zone and just create.
Who inspires you?
My parents are always a huge inspiration to me, as well as my children. My mom taught me persistence, patience, and empathy - all important qualities to have, not just an artist, but in life as well. My father is who I learned art from, but more importantly he taught me the importance of family, humility, and hard work. My children inspire me daily as they have the amazing ability to adapt to change and a desire to constantly learn.
What is your goal when you create?
When I create art, I want my work to reflect an expression of life and an assembly of emotions and intended to capture whatever lies within my heart, mind, and soul, that words cannot express the same way. With each painting, my goal is to capture those emotions and make the audience see, feel, and think through their own set of emotions.
Why do you create?
I believe art is an idea about something in the form of an idealized interpretation, and since I am very introspective, I like to analyze alot of things. I like to create art, but I also hope to inspire and provide people with something to think about. The thing I love about all forms of art is that it has timeless value. 200 years from now, my art will be passed down through different generations, interpreted differently, and still remain ageless. There is something so motivating about that concept that makes me never want to stop.
How has choosing your creative path affected your life?
The last few years have not been easy for me, dealing with many things on a rollercoaster of life's emotions. Art has definitely saved me in many ways and has been therapeutic for me. Being able to challenge assumptions through art, it has helped enlighten my mind and soul. I now look at things metaphorically and how things connect to our actions and thoughts. Art has definitely opened my mind up to new ideas, and makes me look at the smallest details from a different perspective. I have also many people within the art industry that I have become friends with that also contributed to my personal growth as an artist.
Did you have to overcome any obstacles along the way?
I have had some personal struggles, some family issues, and some periods of doubt. I can't go into detail in this format, but I let the art express my pain, and go into detail through interpretation. From some of the most painful moments in my life, came beautiful works of art. It is healing to communicate through my paintbrush, breaking barriers and gaps along the way, while empathizing with what others may be experiencing. And through art, sensitive topics can be addressed and used to motivate a new meaning or purpose in life.
What's your go-to song right now and why is it important to you?
My go-to song right now is "Legit" by Nas. Nas is one of my hip-hop favorite artists, along with 2pac, Kanye, Eminem, Method Man, Jay-Z, Q-Tip, and of course Wu-Tang. But Nas' new album has been on repeat since it came out and I can't stop listening to "Legit." The song just raises my mood once the beat kicks in and inspires creativity.
What is your dream as an artist and what steps are you taking to reach your dream?
My dream as an artist is to just keep creating. I already surpassed some of my biggest goals, which were to have my work displayed in Times Square last year, and be part of exhibitions in NYC and other parts of the world, but my ultimate desire as an artist is to have work permanently displayed at the MOMA. To see the works of Van Gogh, Picasso, Cézanne, and other artists that I have always admired is amazing to witness, and can only dream of having work on display there. I created a work in 2020 called "The Boy in the Pandemic," modeled after Cézanne's famous "Boy in Red Vest" painting created in 1890. I went recently to the MOMA and have not seen that painting since completing mine and to see it was surreal. I envisioned my version of the painting that shows the boy in the painting wearing a mask, and gloves, and equipped with an abundance of toilet paper, next to the original Cézanne painting. But in enhancing my creativity as an artist, I am always looking for ways to improve and learn. In a few weeks, I am going to be part of a class that meets weekly in Chelsea, NYC with live models while being instructed on how to draw portraits from various angles. Therefore, it will only help improve my skillset and influence a new wave of art that will come out.
What would you tell someone else with a dream?
When I first considered myself an "artist," it came with a lot of self-doubts, imposter syndrome, and a fear of being vulnerable. When you decide on showing your artwork to people, you don't realize the fear that comes along with it. There is a level of vulnerability that no one is ready for when you get rejected by galleries, people don't buy your work, people criticize something you worked so hard on, etc. It can make you never want to paint again. I hired an art coach that was prolific in helping me break away from these fears. Because I am a self-taught artist and never went to school to study art, I felt intimidated by artists who did go to art school and did know art history, composition, form, value, etc. My art coach helped me to be my authentic self, and embrace those things that I may know how to do naturally but felt intimated to talk to other artists about it. I learned to be myself and just paint. Let the world see what I am doing and whether you are either with me or not. It was freeing to not compete with anyone, to realize natural talent is nothing to be ashamed of, and to be authentic. So my advice would be that - be authentic. Paint what the fuck means something to you and what you want to paint. Compete with you and only you. There is no such thing as the "best" artist - just a person’s “favorite” artist, and everyone is going to have a different one. Art is everywhere and people will have similar ideas, you just have to compete with yourself to constantly challenge yourself. And lastly, I would tell someone to paint from the heart and soul. We are all human with different emotions and our own set of feelings. There is an artist inside all of us waiting to come out and make a masterpiece.
Tell us about your most recent release
I am working on so many things right now, with finishing my Ph.D. in psychology, being my number one priority. I am in the end stretch and should be done in the next few months. But as far as my newest works, I am currently doing a Michael Jackson painting, a new Brain Vs Heart painting, a Jordan 1 sneaker painting, an Alicia Keys painting, and a Wu-Tang painting. This will be a pretty busy year and I'm looking forward to this being my best year as an artist. The two things I am most excited about are being part of the Art Expo New York with my own booth as a solo artist, and also having my work displayed in Times Square once again, this time about 10x bigger and with more works for millions to see. I also will be part of a few books, magazines, gallery exhibitions in NYC, and many more projects I am working on.
Check it out here https://opensea.io/collection/erickmotaart-collection
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Website: http://ErickMotaArt.com
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