Juxtapoz Magazine – Dark Matters: An Interview with Rob Reger for his Solo Show @ 111 Minna Gallery, SF

111 Minna‘s most up-to-date exhibition attributes new and exceptional performs by Rob Reger in his solo exhibit entitled Darkish Issues alongside a solo display by Adam Caldwell, Colorless Environmentally friendly Concepts. Now, we search at Reger’s function, and a discussion in conjunction with the present. Known for his very well-known comedian guides, graphic novels, and outfits lines from his sequence Emily The Strange—in addition to his gothic-macabre art style—Rob Reger’s newest is effective are refreshing parts to aspect at 111 Minna right after nine yrs without the need of this mainstay artist gracing 111’s partitions. Rob Reger’s most recent performs show his considerably less effectively known but equally outstanding summary artistic oeuvre, which is now presenting to the community for the 1st time in a thorough exhibition.

Michelle Delaney: What artists influenced you to develop into an artist? Who continues to encourage you?
Rob Reger: Medical professional Seuss was my 1st inspiration- his other-worlds and landscape architecture in particular. Outside of the doctor, MC Escher, HR Giger, and the Abstract Expressionists and Surrealists. They all acquired me considering about art in a new way. At present, my modern artist pals are an astounding influence. Bryan deRoo, Tim Biskup, Skinner are specifically strong artists that I love to see.

Can you explain the method that you perform through to produce your artwork?
I typically get started with meditation. It assists me lose the distractions of the environment and focus on my operate. I not often begin painting realizing what that portray will seem like at all in the stop. I seriously don’t know what is heading to occur, but I allow the paint and art spirit immediate me. As part of this, I use quickly, instinctual mark producing across the canvas until some thing emerges. Above time, I will commence to turn into much more important with my marks, looking at the piece emerge.

How do you make a decision on the concept of a display?
Fairly like my procedure for producing art, my themes occur jointly soon after creating sufficient get the job done I begin to see interactions concerning the pieces. Meditation is critical here, as well, as it aids clarify the work as a full. This can take a long time even though occasionally for the topic to arise, as this demonstrate did. The thread between all the parts is this display is making on, more than, with and as a result of every thing in front of me, such as my dark facet. The earlier has informed the present– it is buried in there and has led to what you see, but it’s not entrance and middle running the clearly show any lengthier. This exhibit is a metaphor for the progress in my own and professional life and how my mind performs (I have Add/ADHD).

How do you make your mind up on your colour palette?
It’s extra an exploration than nearly anything described from the get-go. I commence portray and see how the operate evolves over time. I also love black and white- the main contrast colours, but even those is effective seldom just have black and white, there will be delicate hues and hues to generate warmth or coolness. A palette is in no way set in stone, it may possibly alter greatly at the pretty conclude.

What has altered in your art in the final five years?
For me, the biggest hurdle from the earlier was basically ending pieces. I have so many paintings that are 80% performed that I’ve continued to do the job on for decades. Aspect of this is my pleasure for discovery. The initial period of painting, generating something new and not figuring out where by it is going and then identifying it is wonderful. The past 20% of the perform is far more of a obstacle and time consuming, and owning Insert doesn’t assistance! For the very last year I’ve stopped consuming and smoking cigarettes weed, which has actually aided me in facing the much more tough and darker pieces of my daily life and my work. Matters are obtaining finished now, and that is a large alter. I’ve also been receiving back into pencil and graphite get the job done and drawing far more.

You mentioned substance free of charge living contributing to your modern artwork. Can you elaborate on that?
I’m executing my complete very best to follow and have confidence in my have internal artwork spirit and I had the instinct that this will come about most effective with a clean up mind and system. I’d usually heard (and somewhat admired) the estimate “write drunk, edit sober”. While not executing this actually all the time, I definitely got lit in the studio for most of my occupation, and I’m not confident I agree with it anymore. Who is aware of if I will hardly ever consume beer or smoke weed all over again, but this problem of truly facing points in additional true time has pressured a particular self confidence from in just and trust in my instincts that were acquiring stifled right before.

Are there factors you pass up from pre-pandemic life?
Actually, I overlook conference all my buddies at 111 Minna Gallery. It’s the one particular spot I could often go and see so several of the persons in my daily life I consider family, colleagues and troopers in the art scene that I dig.

What are you most fired up about for your forthcoming present?
Observing all this operate and what goes on in my head on the wall all together is seriously remarkable. The connections and actions in the function, the route from start to end, with complete becoming a important phrase right here. The performing title for this present was Mindscapes- as the work is a sort of landscape illustration of how my brain operates. This changed recently to Dark Matters, though, which feels like far more the accurate thread that connects them all- the facing my fears and finishing this overall body of get the job done.

Do you envision the figures you make in the worlds of your art?
I find myself wondering back to the Rob of my childhood and thinking it would be great to take a look at and go on adventures inside my parts. The dreamscapes, creepy architecture, the lines and designs. The aspiration of checking out them does excite me. It is really tempting to place in Emily the Strange or a cat in this article or there, but for this present they are not in there, just you and me and everyone else who would like to be a part of.

Dark Matters opens May well 5 at 111 Minna, San Francisco