Today we’d like to introduce you to Edgar Ramirez.
Edgar, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’m a Southern California guy. I grew up in Wilmington. It’s a small city located in the harbor area of LA, but it’s an area with a heavy concentration of industry. Little did I know growing up how much this would come to affect and shape my art practice and thoughts. The constant noise from the shipyards, the smell emitted from the refineries, the steel, concrete, and light – both natural and artificial – from this area inform my ideas, decisions, and work. However, it wasn’t like this too long ago. I was accepted into Otis College of Art and Design in 2014 with plans to strengthen my portrait and life drawing techniques. That was my focus. I wanted my drawings to look hyperrealistic, but within the first few months of the foundation program, I grew frustrated. It became static and boring for me. I needed more of a challenge.
This all changed during my second year when I entered the Fine Arts program. I was introduced to concepts, philosophies, theories, and art movements that I was previously oblivious to. I learned to question societal norms and really dig deep into my thoughts and interests, and I began to challenge myself more than ever. I’m not one to plan too far ahead into the future so I never had thoughts of continuing into a Masters program. But by the time I finished the Fine Arts program at Otis, I knew that my next step was to continue my education. I wanted to keep challenging myself, to learn more, and most importantly – to be around people who were just as interested as I am in learning and having discussions about art. I am now in my final term of my MFA at ArtCenter College of Design.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There have been plenty of struggles. Some of which still carry on from my childhood, but I don’t let them deter me. They’re obstacles which can be overcome with time and determination. I try to stay focused on what I want to achieve and what my interests are and not on what is trying to drag me down mentally, emotionally, or physically.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I paint and make sculpture. I keep an index of photos that inform my decisions when doing this. I write about these decisions and, from there, I paint and make some more objects. It’s my process. My work is always developing in various ways, but at the moment, I’ve been making things with building materials: concrete, heavy metals, asphalt, wood, etc. I’m interested in city planning and infrastructures. My spatial relation to these and their interplay with socioeconomic status and physical locale help guide my ideas.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
You have to put in the work first in order to be lucky. There are no shortcuts in reaching the success you want. So I’d say the luck that I’ve experienced has been in recognizing the path to creating the opportunities that I desire. In making the necessary sacrifices in life to get an education, luck granted me more paths and opportunities to create work and do what I love.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.eramirezart.com
- Email: ramirezeart@gmail.com
- Instagram: _e_ramirez_
Image Credit:
Nestor Carranza, Anita Kapila
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