Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeremy Shockley.
Jeremy, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I was raised in Traveler’s Rest, South Carolina. I went to college at Winthrop University for Psychology and Painting/Photography. I moved to New York after college intending to pursue Psychology but ended up managing Toms Sachs’s Studio. Needing a break from art, I moved back to South Carolina to do trim carpentry, brick masonry, and any other type of building/fabrication I could find. After three years of this, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue painting, while working for a gallery. I live in Koreatown, and my studio is in El Sereno. I have a sweet girlfriend named Nikki, a dog named Willie, and five chickens; Edna, Debbie, Dink, Billy Jo, and Hairdo.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I’m a painter. I typically use oil paint on linen. Most of my paintings are a form of storytelling. I’m heavily influenced by techniques used by magical realist writers; specifically adding magical elements into mundane situations in a matter-of-fact way. I hope people are able to loosely use the actions/iconography occurring in the work to form the groundwork for filling in the narrative. I really enjoy the act of painting, and I want that to show through.
How do you think about success, as an artist, and what do quality do you feel is most helpful?
I think constantly painting is the secret to success and having the means to constantly paint is success.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
I have a show coming up in September, but it hasn’t been announced yet. I show with Desert Center here in Los Angeles. I’ve also shown with Showboat and Slow Culture. Lately, I’ve been doing group shows and fairs mostly. I don’t do websites. I’m on Instagram as @hardblink… because I blink a lot.
Contact Info:
- Email: shockleyj1@gmail.com
- Instagram: @hardblink
Image Credit:
Aaron Farley, Jeremy Shockley
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