Tom Sanford - Respect the Artist Interview
Tom Sanford is an artist who lives and works in West Harlem, NYC. Over a career that has spanned over two decades, Sanford has exhibited his paintings, drawings and (very occasionally) photographs all over the world in galleries, museums and art fairs. Over the years Tom has on occasion designed album covers, concert posters and t-shirts as the artist tries to stay engaged with the popular culture that inspires his artwork. Recent projects include a sneaker collaboration with Ewing Athletics and being featured on several television commercials for the his beloved New York Knicks on the MSG Network.
Tom Sanford (@uberkunst on instagram etc)
How did you get your Artist name?
I got my name from my father. My social media handle I've had since the early 90s, it was my AOL screen name and I stuck with it.
How did you get into creating?
I always drew as a child. I recall winning a class drawing competition when I was in kindergarten or so. I guess that gave me some (undo) confidence and also a great sense of satisfaction. So I kept at it. By the time school was over I had a bachelors in fine art. At which point I realized I really wasn't qualified to do much. The way I saw it, I could flip burgers or make art. I decided to do the latter.
Where are you from?
I was born in New York but moved to London when I was three. My childhood took place in England.
How did growing up in your neighborhood/city affect you?
When I was eight my parents sent me to boarding school in rural England. Living away from my family from a young age made me very independent minded.
What did you do to advance your skills/knowledge?
For as long as I can remember I have made art as much as I have been able. When I was young it was at the expense of my classes in school. After school art came at the expenses of my other responsibilities. I have worked a lot and I have learned from doing. I also try and look at other art from time to time. That also helps me improve my work. While I have gone to school for art, I think most of my advancement came from working things out on my own.
What does your current setup look like?
I work in the basement of my townhouse (where my family and I live) in West Harlem/Hamilton Heights. It's not very big, and it's crammed with art supplies and paintings and such. I also have a rowing machine down there. I like to get some exercise at the end of the day and look at the painting that I worked on that day. Rowing clears my mind and allows me to see what I need to do next on the painting.
Who inspires you?
I'm inspired by artists who I admire. I could give you a long list of them, but it seems you want an anecdote, so I will indulge you. When I was in college at Columbia in the mid 1990s I took a painting class with a painter named Archie Rand. At that point I was taking art classes because I enjoyed them and tended to get good grades in art. I had never considered that being an artist was a possibility. Pretty early on in the class, Archie worked out that I was spending more time than I probably needed to on my homework and wanted to be challenged. One week he told me that instead of doing the assigned homework I should do 20 paintings for the next class. I did. Next week he looked at them and told me to make 20 more. So I made 20 more. The next week I asked him what he thought I should do next. He said,"I don't know kid, you just made 40 paintings in 2 weeks. You're an artist, you have to work that out for yourself." I took him at his word and kept on painting and here I am. It's been 30 years and I'm still painting like I've got to get 20 painting done this week.
What is your goal when you create?
My goal is to finish the painting that I'm working on and move on to the next one.
Why do you create?
To quote Bushwick Bill, "I ain't with being broke." But seriously, painting and drawing is what I do, I don't know what else I would do. I enjoy it and have found a way to turn it into a living. Apart from my wife and children, making art is pretty much my whole life.
How has choosing your creative path affected your life?
Being an artist has affected my life in every way possible. It's pretty much all I do. It's what I am. Art has taken me around the world and given me the opportunity to do so many fun and interesting projects. I've met many incredible people because of my art and art has kept me busy my entire life. Art hasn't affected my life. Art is my life.
Did you have to overcome any obstacles along the way?
I really haven't had any significant obstacles beyond my fear and the need for money. I'm in good healthy (so far) and I'm a white male in America. I have it pretty easy. But that being said, being an artist isn't easy. By artist, I guess I mean being a working artist, someone who supports themself by making and selling their work. The difficult thing is that it's like you wake up everyday newly unemployed. You need to work out what you are going to do that day and how you might be able to translate that into some money. That can be scary. Even after doing it for 25 years (well actually I guess I haven't had a job for 20 years, but who's counting) I still lose sleep over it. But the great thing is I always get up in the morning looking forward to doing my work. The bottom line is, I value my time and am loathed to sell it to an employer. Everyday I can continue being an artist reaffirms to me that I'm a success.
What's your go-to song right now and why is it important to you?
I mainly listen to audiobooks and podcasts while I work. I think I like the talking because it keeps me company while I spend all day alone in my basement. When I need a little extra energy I do sometimes play music. I find DMX is good in these situations.
What is your dream as an artist and what steps are you taking to reach your dream?
I just want to be doing this for the rest of my life. So I keep painting.
What would you tell someone else with a dream?
I'd say quit now. I don't need any more competition. If you're going to do this you don't need my permission and I really don't have any good advice beyond keep working at it.
Tell us about your most recent release:
Right now I am finishing up a very large painting that was commissioned by Cortney Bond for a new bar/club that she's opening on the Bowery at Spring Street here in Manhattan. It's massive, 244 inches wide at 48 inches tall. Both the club and the painting are called "Champagne Problems", maybe someday you'll be partying at Cortney's club and you'll see it. I'm very pleased with the picture and look forward to seeing it installed when the club opens in March.
Connect
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uberkunst/
Website: http://www.tomsanford.com
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