"The thing that motivates me most to paint is communication. When I make something that works well, show it to someone and they get it, or I see their unique connection to it or their cool vision of it - there's a connection."
So says pop/street artist, TY Cummings, who will be part of a new group show at the bG Gallery (Bleicher/Gorman), in Santa Monica, from May 28 to June 5th,
Opening Reception: Saturday May 28, 2016, 5- 8pm.
"There have been many experiences of viewing artists' pieces that have been particularly impactful through the years, ranging from Warhol video art in Vienna to a Turner painting at The Frick. I'm inspired by a lot of different types of work."
Cummings received his BFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York in 2008, as well as an MFA from CalArts in Los Angeles in 2012. Working with all types of mundane items and alternative tools such as glitter spray, puzzle pieces, charcoal, and other found objects, Cummings has been creating art since he was in his teens. He started painting on wood about ten years ago.
"I like the immediacy and velocity of a loaded paintbrush sliding across the smooth surface."
He has also found that other media such as glued pieces of paper and resin could do well on the rigid flatness of canvas at times.
"There are a lot of aspects to being an artist besides just painting. The painting "Every" was inspired by momentum. It's a dichotomy of familiarity and newness both at once."
"The painting 'Turning' (at the top of this post) is inspired by a mood of stillness and movement simultaneously."
"As a kid, I was really interested in drawing and so I developed in that direction, using pencil, ink, color pencils, watercolor and air brush. I started painting and sculpting in my teens, using acrylic, oil and ceramic. In college, I incorporated photography and also made video art, for which I would build installations utilizing pools of water, fog and snow machines, and then perform group rituals in the spaces (these videos are only accessible to those who know the secret password). Currently, I'm focused on painting, and am using a lot of different mediums. I work in a way that allows me to be very precise as well as very loose because I think it's more interesting that way."
"There are always new things I want to incorporate into the work. The concepts build off of each other and the story keeps moving."
bG Gallery presents a survey of reflective surrealist and fantasy works by accomplished masters and emerging visionaries. The group show is titled "Looking Glass." Artists in the group show include Cory Sewelson, Gay Summer Rick, Bob Branaman, Nathan Cartwright, Brian Cooper, Ty Cummings, Jerry Uelsmann, Ed Freeman, Dan Busta, Marcus Durkheim, Jim Holyoak, and more.
bG Gallery:, 2525 Michigan Ave. G8A, Santa Monica CA, 90404
Website: http://santamonica.bgartdealings.com
For more information about the art of Ty Cummings, visit http://www.tycummings.com
All photos courtesy of Ty Cummings
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