Meet Jack Avetisyan

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jack Avetisyan.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
From what my family tells me, my grandfather was the first person to catch me drawing.  I was around 2 years old, sitting under a tree in our backyard in Armenia, and my grandfather spotted me trying to draw a leaf.  He declared from that moment on that I was to become an artist, and so it became a focus, not just for me, but for the entire family! My parents sent me to classes from a very young age, beginning at 3 or 4. I don’t recall too much detail of the actual schooling, but strangely I remember going to art class in a 2 or 3- piece suit, with suspenders and my art supplies in a leather briefcase! I am sure the other children thought it was a bit odd, but it began my process of thinking of art as a business, and I took it very seriously even as a small child.  When we moved to America in 1991 I continued going to art classes. Looking back, I realize it was not a passion for art that drove me, it just seemed that I needed to continue what I had started.  Many times, I felt the I did not really want to pursue art as a career, as I had other interests and capabilities, but I just kept coming back to it, perhaps out of a sense of obligation.

Please tell us about your art.
My art is a mixture of abstract and figurative work, often chaotic with a lot of movement, sometimes with fragmented human forms floating between reality and abstract spaces, the theoretical vs. the actual. My art now helps to define aspects of my personal identity. My earlier images were often raw and somewhat aggressive and included disjointed figurative images in a disorderly manner. As I have grown as an artist, it has also become about my cultural identity, and trying to balance between my Armenian roots and my desire to acculturate to the American way of life. There are aspects of both that I wish to embrace but striving to find that equilibrium is often challenging. Trying to find balance juggling a full-time job, a family, and my passion for painting can be a difficult task, and sometimes that manifests in my art. Occasionally my inner turmoil comes out on a canvas, and as a parent, I start questioning whether I want my children seeing aggression in my work. So now, I temper those elements with lighter themes in my newer work.
As my art practice evolves, my newest paintings maintain some aspects from the past, but I am always eager to try new directions. I am not one to commit to creating a whole series about one topic, as I become unhappy committing to just one thing. I prefer to always remain fresh, even if the changes are only subtle nuances, I know they are there! Experimentation in my art gives me an opportunity to be mischievous and sometimes a bit whimsical. For example, a dog has become a recurring symbol in my work, representing my inner child, and he can sometimes be quite a rascal! I can put him in certain situations or give him attitudes or behaviors that of course I could never do in real life. I don’t think I ever spend time thinking what people should take away from my work or if there is some sort of inspiration behind it. My work has a post-modern structure to it, a lot of fragmentation, contradictions, and plenty of symbolism. I jump back and form between fun whimsical work and harder more aggressive pieces because it helps me balance myself. I don’t often treat the canvas as a place to create a finished painting, for me it’s just another page out of a sketchbook. It’s a place to experiment and play, takes risks, even make mistakes. The worse thing a viewer can say about my art is that it’s pretty.

We often hear from artists that being an artist can be lonely. Any advice for those looking to connect with other artists?
For some reason this is a new question. Here is the question I had before.

What do you think about conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?

I don’t really pay too much attention to outside influences or conditions, as they rarely impact my ability to create art. I think artists have more opportunities now than ever before. You see so much great art being created in a variety of mediums, and with so much technology and social media available for us to share the work with the world, it really is an exciting time to be an artist. There is so much art being sold online now too – that it is a whole new way to reach customers that can’t be ignored, and it certainly makes it easier to get your artwork seen by a larger audience. With all the technology, global trading has definitely made art supplies much more affordable too. It has made it easier to create art, but the problem I see is that most artists are too busy trying to create their image on social media as an artist and don’t spend enough time creating art. Marketing and social media is important, but it must never take away from the time required to actually create your artwork!

I don’t believe it is the city’s responsibility to insure an artist is successful, although the public art requirement for new construction is a very good thing, as is general support of the arts through public funding and grant programs. However, the success of an artist lies mainly in their own hands. Treat it as a business, do your job, go into your studio and create! I think it is important to invest in yourself, whether that’s getting an agent, a coach, a copywriter – whatever it is – and surround yourself with people that can do the things that you’re either not good at, or don’t have the time to do. Build your business with a team if possible, so you can focus on the things that only you can do – namely, making the art!

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I am very excited to be participating in two prestigious art shows this Spring.

“Made in California” at The Brea Gallery
 The 33rd Annual “Made in California” Juried Exhibition is a tightly curated show featuring the best of California artists in all mediums. With many hundreds of applicants, less than 90 pieces were chosen for exhibition. I feel honored to be part of this dynamic contemporary art show at the municipal City of Brea Art Gallery. 
Opening Night Artist Reception, April 21, 2018, 7-9 PM

The Beverly Hills Art Show
 Held each May and October for over 45 years, this outdoor weekend art show is a perennial Spring favorite! Artists from all over the country apply for this esteemed event, which features 245 select artists chosen by a panel of art curators and critics. The show is held along four linear blocks of the Beverly Gardens Park on Santa Monica Boulevard, between Rodeo and Rexford Drive. An outstanding collection of art in all mediums, live music, a beverage garden, and gourmet food trucks insure a great time is had by all.
Saturday, May 19 & Sunday, May 20, 10AM-6PM

Contact Info:

• Website: avetisyanart.com
• Email: jack@avetisyanart.com
• Instagram: @jackavetisyan
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avetisyanart/

Image Credit:
Rouzanna Berberian

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