Hello and welcome to the 54th 3 Art Questions With Jackson interview! This time I interviewed excellent painter and super nice person Derek Meier. I first discovered Derek's art at Allison Ruby's Red Garage Studio in 2019 and loved it and have been following him since then. His art is very unique and inspiring and I really enjoyed his answers. I think you will too! Thanks for reading! (Instagram: @derek_august_ / Images 1, 3, and 4 courtesy of the artist)
Jackson: How did you first get into art? Did you have a specific experience that made you want to be a painter?
Derek: I was drawn to mark making early on as a way to mindfully wander, and I eventually engaged painting in my Fine Art studies. My initial attempts in nonobjective abstraction would mark the point of no return. I was deeply entrenched in how lost I felt in the challenges posed as I learned how to navigate these spaces, and I continue to be addicted to seeking higher outcomes as the languages available to me grow.
Jackson: How did you become involved with Interact? It seems really cool.
Derek: I began working at Interact in 2017. It was and continues to be thrilling to be surrounded by a roster of working artists and be involved in their wildly varied processes. Interact is a art center/gallery/theater company that works with artists with disabilities, assisting in facilitation of their studio practice and exhibiting their work. It is a place I am able to teach and learn every day and share in the collective energy that greatly benefits my own practice.
Jackson: If you could meet any artist living or dead, who would it be and why?
Derek: The aliens that did Stonehenge, for obvious reasons.
