Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Bear Czerny. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Bear, thank you so much for making time for us today. We can’t wait to dive into your story and the lessons you’ve learned along the way, but maybe we can start with something foundational to your success. How have you gone about developing your ability to communicate effectively?
I am continually in the process of learning that art. I actively hone my language, through my multidisciplinary art practices, so I can be an effective communicator. It is a process that takes sustained practice and engagement. I think that is the essential goal of art, to communicate effectively, and most importantly: poetically. It can take many forms, many iterations, from eloquence to brutality, and is subjective in nature, yet in my opinion, must contain an undefinable essence that expresses some aspect of the inexpressible – that allows space for unknowns to be present. That creates the space and time to connect, feel, and actually hear – to be in relation.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am an Artist, and my multidisciplinary art practices enable me to function as an intermediary between where our furthest futures are informed by are deepest pasts. Each act of creating is the present, and art in its many forms is the vehicle that allows this connection to the universe, that touches the very epicenter, and is the very energetic act of creation itself. This never ceases to bring me joy and fulfilment. A specific piece (and/or site where) I create becomes the context of examining and exploring that space between what can be termed as the sacred and profane. I am interested in discovering, mapping and weaving together the infinite variations of the instinctive and rational parts of ourselves to achieve a type of balance. I strive to do this through embodied mark making of energy and ontology of object and image by the utilization of numerous materials assembled in interdisciplinary and multimedia configurations. I believe the process of making art, as well as the art itself, reveals that it is the ritual of creating that binds us to the deeper meaning of what it means to be alive and to be human.
Nature is the true conductor, I am a note, and the things I create are the bridges between.
This all feels quite special, and I’m very excited about the project I’m currently working on. It is a large scale installation piece titled: one hundred miles, composed primarily of nine barbed wire balls which vary in size from three to five feet in diameter (seen in the photo of me perched upon one), fence posts and railroad ties (all salvaged from a historic ranch near the Northern New Mexico / Texas border, and all dating from the late 1800’s when barbed wire was first put into production). There will also be mural size canvas paintings, utilizing the wire balls and natural clay pigments, drawings, wood block prints and a ritual activation of the objects during an *aktion in the exhibition space.
The piece focuses on the physical presence and materiality of the objects which inform the central exploratory themes of movement and migration that contextualize the installation: how we use/define/maintain borders/boundaries. Why we as humans need to actively address the practicalities of rewilding/deconstructing/reimagining concepts ingrained within Western philosophies and policies that are detrimental to ourselves and all other sentient and non-sentient species on the planet.
Through the alteration of the materials themselves, embedded histories are transformed.
I am currently looking for exhibition space(s) and funding to showcase and premier this work.
*a German word meaning ‘activity’ or ‘process’, used in the context of modern art to refer to works that are not for entertainment
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Intuition, Imagination and Inspiration. The combination of these is what I term serious play, that magical space of discovery where listening, experiencing, interacting and communicating through creation of form and action become one. It means having the freedom of a child (freedom being directly connected to spontaneity, which becomes the active participation of intuition, imagination and inspiration), balanced with the sustained practice, honed skills, and experience of age, which gives the play its serious quality. The same way experience (in the best instances) turns knowledge into wisdom.
In terms of advice to young artists : trust your own process, be honest with yourself and your work, and have a deep belief in what you do, as you will need copious amounts of each to sustain the path your forge; because it is not a short game, it is a long one…
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Definitely. I think art in its many forms is a direct collaboration, whether with specific materials and/or site or self, where creating becomes the context of a conversation that asks questions and explores answers between the world, the viewer-participant and I; between humanity and our place within the larger organism of what we term nature. I am always interested in the ways in which this can expand and collaborating with another or others can be a beautiful means to do this, facilitating and enriching the dialogue, exploration and journey to becoming better human beings.
I’m interested in collaborating with other creatives that feel a connection to the languages I navigate within, that sense we share points of connection in our mutual practices that are spoken and unspoken, so as to strive to birth new forms.
I am also interested in collaborating with gallerists, curators, museums, universities, collectors and patrons; forging relationships that enable opportunities for career growth and develop stronger networks of support.
Individuals or organizations interested can contact me directly via my website or my Instagram.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://aaronczerny.com/home.html
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bearczerny/
