Klay-James Enos Interview | Respect the Dreamer
This interview was curated by START Shows
Klay-James Enos is a visual artist who grew up in New York. His plein air paintings frequently depict a changing urban environment, and draw their conceptual underpinnings from digital culture. Enos has shown his paintings in numerous exhibits throughout the boroughs of New York, and in Toronto and Berlin.
What inspired you to pursue your dream, and how did it all begin?
When I was younger, I dreamed of writing fiction. I studied literature in school and discovered I preferred scholarship to creative writing because it allowed me to tackle subjects that I found elusive. And the most elusive of all to me was the image that doesn't speak with words at all. So I found myself preoccupied with art history for a while. I spent so much time looking at art that I developed a critical faculty for it, and started to imagine ways I might contribute to that tradition. I think all worthwhile dreams are transformative, not just because they have the ability to transform who you are, but also because they can transform themselves in a way you can't predict.
Can you share a defining moment in your journey that shaped your perspective and fueled your passion?
I grew up among an enclave of artists, and I think it shaped my perspective today. Lower Manhattan was full of abandoned lots back then, and my parents were involved in the movement to turn them into gardens that was spearheaded by the artists in the area. I didn't know it at the time, but many important artists had lived and worked there before I was born, from Louise Nevelson to Basquiat.
How do you handle setbacks and keep pushing forward in the pursuit of your dreams?
I'm not sure I believe in creative setbacks, personal setbacks certainly, but if you define your art around constantly evolving without preconceived ideas of what success and even the medium you work in looks like, all of your experiences, positive or negative, will feed your creative output.
When the COVID lockdowns hit, I was working several different jobs, most of which were suspended indefinitely. I started setting up my easel in my apartment and recording the scenes that were a part of my daily life. Later on, I set my easel up on my roof and painted there. I painted outdoor portraits of friends who I had been separated from. It was the first time I had been able to focus on my work exclusively, and it grew in scope and ambition during that time.
Are there specific individuals who have inspired you along the journey?
My great-grandmother, who was a painter and owned a frame shop with my great-grandfather. I inherited my first oil paints in a box she had left behind. I only knew her for a short time, but sometimes I feel her guidance, not in a supernatural way, but in the rightness of the path she took through life.
How do you maintain a balance between pursuing your dreams and handling everyday responsibilities?
I think that if you see everyday responsibilities as an impediment to your artistic aspirations, you will resent them forever. Art requires a certain degree of structure, and so does life. If your art doesn't have any sort of stake in life, then it's meaningless. So I see everyday responsibilities, having a job, as something that can offer me new perspectives on making art, rather than an obstacle to be juggled.
How do you overcome self-doubt and stay confident in your abilities?
I don't really make artwork to seek validation, but out of an intense curiosity to see myself continue working. Of course art is also a business, and every artist has to be several different kinds of person at once to be successful, but the moment you focus on sales or popularity as a metric for your self-confidence, you are letting other people decide what you are making. I guess this is liberating to a certain kind of person because it frees them from the responsibility of thinking for themselves, but it's anathema to what I want out of art.
Can you share a memorable success story or achievement that resulted from your determination?
It's all cumulative. I started out with a very specific idea of what kind of art I wanted to make, something very contemporary and inspired by digital media, and then somewhere along the way, realized I loved painting from life in the city. It took me a long time to figure out why I wanted to do that, and how to transform that into something that felt relevant to the present. That's something I'm incredibly proud of though, because a lot of artists approach finding their style artificially or academically.
In what ways do you stay motivated during challenging times?
By seeing everything in life as creative sustenance. I sometimes go months without being able to paint, but if I'm not working, I'm visiting museums, watching films, reading books, listening to music.
What dream are you living right now?
I recently published my work in Kernel Magazine, an annual publication devoted to "reimagining techno-optimism," which is something I've been really interested in recently. I also gave a lecture at a high school in Westchester abut my career in art. The students worked on a painting assignment modeled off of one of my series, and then I painted with them as they finished by working outdoors from life. It was inspiring watching young artists find themselves.
What advice would you give to someone with a dream?
Be careful what you wish for! I don't personally ascribe to manifesting, but when I was younger, I told myself that I didn't want one path in a career, and wanted to do a lot of odd jobs and learn a bunch of useful things. I think that sort of came true. A dream has to be something you can work through, not an end point.
Photography credit: Image 1: Klay-James Enos, A Brighter Spring Day, 2021
Image 2: Klay-James Enos, View from Quarantine I, 2020
Image 3: The Twin Ghosts, 2018
Portrait credit: Drew Levin
Website: http://www.klayjamesenos.com
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/klayjamesenos
Twitter: klayjamesenos
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