Interesting questions from a new interview. I had a couple of emails to post this so here it is.

1) Do you have any particular preference for a certain scale when working?

My work continuous to get larger, the drawings are in the neighborhood of 30” x 40” which is a standard drawing board size. I can see getting even bigger but unless I go modular, the size is determined by the vehicle that can transport them. The other direction is very small, I like the intimacy of tiny painting or drawing 3” x 5” no more then 12” x 12” what I don’t like is the norm, 14” x 18” 16” x 20” and so on. The large drawings work on two levels you see them from far and they look very photographic once you get near some areas carry much more details then you see from a distance and some areas become almost abstract. The smaller works are very personal and are less concept based.

2) What piece of your artwork are you currently most proud of and why?

I’m only proud that after all this time I am still as passionate about drawing as I was when I was 16. This is hard question to answer I tend to say the one I am working on which is the Portrait of Jessica Good, technically I have made some important strides, conceptually its to early to tell. From past work; the drawing of Charles Breed was a pivotal work technically. Then there is one that I have never shown on the internet a painting which is a diptych 7’ square called “The Edge” this one was the biggest push as far as technique and concept are concerned, but it doesn’t read at all on a monitor so I never have posted it. “Blues for Mama” of course breaks my heart, being that it’s a drawing of my mother that I started two weeks after her death as an homage to her.

3) Do you find the quality of your work is influenced by your thoughts and moods at the time of working?

If by quality you mean technically, no not at all I work the same happy, sad or whatever. But conceptually very much so, my ideas tend to follow where I am in life emotionally. But then I am never really at ease, satisfied or truly happy, this makes for some inquisitive self-exploring work. But I am not an angst-riddled, pseudo-intellectual either. What I am is human with ups and downs but my work ethic and passion makes me go on no matter what. The very cliché answer is; art is a way of life as it should be for most artists, I don’t really choose to do art, but I will not choose to quit.

4) Do you use an eraser much when working or do you prefer to work with the marks already on your page?

Not too much, I don’t erase out hair for instance, as some people think I do, it’s not that I wouldn’t but it messes with the fiber of the paper giving that mark a different look. I do lighten areas with a kneaded eraser and soften areas quite a bit.

5) Which piece of your work do you feel is the most successful in terms of expression?

I set a goal with every work and the level of expression that I will put into it. A commissioned drawing is low on the list that’s why I’m not fond of this kind of drawing anymore; unless it’s a person know very well. As far a raw emotions, “Name of the Father” “Stripped” “Monolithic” are very powerful expressions of deep seated feelings. “Blues for Mama” is very expressive but not so much in a universal sense but a very personal one. With the exception of sketch book drawings and doodling while in meetings I don’t draw for drawing sake, its all steeped in emotions, drawing is just the vehicle that lets me communicate what I feel about the world that I am part of.

6) Do you encounter much skepticism about realism in the world of fine art? If so how would you respond?

Sure no matter the “ism” someone out there feels they have to speak against it. They do it one way and everyone should follow, creative dogma at it’s worst. Frequently I get, “why not just take a picture’? (They also think this is some kind of epiphany). My response is: when I draw a person, I spend 400 hours exploring their face, constantly editing light, shadow, textures, and details. It’s this journey though the features, aging skin, and anatomy, a nexus of observations, my gut feelings and my concept that make me part of that persons psyche. Snapping a photo in a few seconds gives me what they “look” like on the surface but not really who they are. And of course there is the issue of craftsmanship, you can buy a coffee table at Wal-Mart, yet craftsman still loving build tables from fine wood, with unique designs and a passionate interaction of materials…. but then, maybe your just a Wal-Mart kind of guy? Usually that does the trick. The way I draw is natural for me, l love loose drawings, full of gesture but its not how I work nor part of my concepts. Also I am a lover of abstract art but as connoisseur not practitioner I tried, I sucked at it!
There is room in the art world for all kind of work, those who think differently, are unfortunately not only short-sided but cheating themselves out of lots of joy.

7) While there is obviously a very strong realist component in your work, it is also quite expressionistic and the symbolism within it could be linked to surrealism. Is there a certain art movement or historical artist that you admire particularly?

Not one over the other, I love abstract expressionism, compared to that a lot of photorealism has no soul, yet it was widely known that part of classic “hotorealism”, as in minimalism there was a conscious intent of the lack of emotion. Yet I am a realist at heart, my challenge how can I find a union of the two, relatively tight drawing with an emotional edge yet not falling into to trap of “shock art”. As a child I was motivated by my love of children’s book illustrations and fantasy art. But my biggest motivation is music from folk to symphonic metal from thrash to alternative, its really drives my concepts much more than visual art. Out of all the visual art I have seen in my 50 years, a good portion of the work on DA has opened my eyes to a grander world of art. Here anything goes and the seeds of great artists are ever present. It doesn’t matters to me if its traditional or digital the magic is in the concept not the medium.


8) How important do you feel personal expression is in a work of art, both your works and the works of other people?

Is there anything about pencil that you find particularly expressive?
No I don’t see anything that’s inherently more expressive about pencils then any other medium, after all it’s just a stick with some waxed graphite in it. But who holds the stick, the brush, the mouse that’s the key. True personal expression gives rise to great work, if its just shock art sure you might get all kinds of favs but I it get old quick. If you blend your emotions, concepts and a masterful techniques your apt to make some serious art.



9) As you teach art there are obviously many who have been influenced by you, but is there anyone you know of in particular?

I see many that are but I also realize I got on board here (at DA )when it was in its infancy and I just happened to come when there were few traditional drawers posting. Today I am just one of many yet I have grown and been influenced by other as well. I feel that Brian Duey (Golfiscool), Imaginee, Isabel Chang, April Meyette, Paul Lung and some others have all been influenced by me to a some extent but they would of arrived where they are at without my presents. What influenced them was that graphite could be important and taken seriously as a complete final process not just a sketching medium for painting. I also harp on concept and that drawing has to be balanced with ideas. When drawing a published celebrity photo this is very limiting; the “art part” has been done for you by a good photographer, the best you can do is a good drawing and if that truly enough for you then I have no complains. How many more Angelinas, or Johnny Depps, of the same pose are we going to endure. Pat Mcmichael is one of the few who can take a celebrity photo and reinvent it thereby making a whole new statement but most are just unaltered and sadly unimaginative copies. Personally I’ll draw Angelina only if she sits in my studio and pays me lots of cash, I wont hold my breath.

10) There are several comparisons that can be made between your life and heritage and that of Lucian Freud (for example, you were both born in Germany, your families have both experienced Nazism, you have both taught other people at some time.) Freud has been quoted as wishing to depict people "as they happen to be". Do you feel you have a similar "goal" to this? Is there any particular work of Freud that you like?

Lucian Freud work is much more gritty and expressionistic then my work. Of course color plays a huge role in Mr. Freud’s work where in mine color is described in the viewers mind with my handling of values. I rarely work with the total figure but concentrate on the human face where Mr Freud depicts the opposite (although he has done some great portrait work) Seeing his work a few times I was so moved that I had to sit down and catch my breath, the only other time that happened to me was seeing Van Gogh’s work. I can’t comment on anything like that of my own art for I never have seen my work for the first time, but I can say what my intent is. That’s to share a mixture of feelings and facts, the love of draftsmanship yet I am interested in symbolism and an emotional social-critical content in my work. Can this type of realism ever reach the power of Freud? All I can say it is a constant goal for me to do so. Freud is one of the best-known traditional representative artists in the last 100 years; I certainly can’t compare myself to that.

Armin Mersmann



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