First of all, thank you Jay Finger for your willingness to give us the first interview of the season for Styrian Summer Art!
Styrian Summer Art: You have provided us with an excerpt from one of your current works as a subject for our posters and flyers (and also for our certificates), thank you very much for that!
Jay Finger: ‘Here you go!’
Styrian Summer Art: It's called ‘Up to the Neck’ and it's a painting that you have to see, because it really gets under your skin....What else is important to you that we know about it - is there anything else you would like to say?
Jay Finger: ‘I can say something additional, but I think it's best for most people to leave it a bit open - so that they are interested in art themselves. If you're not told everything exactly, you have the freedom to see something in a picture yourself.
The picture is partly about the environment - it's here with me by the way - under the surface of the water a man is collecting plastic and you can see cattle...they're related to global warming. We'll have to see how we fare in the future. At the top of the water is a baby in a flamingo - it symbolises the attitude of many people who, as long as they are doing well, don't care about anything - with no sense of how terrible things are for some.’
Styrian Summer Art: Storytelling and expression will be an exciting combination in the acrylic painting workshop in Pöllau at Styrian Summer Art from 27 to 29 June - how did this theme come about?
Jay Finger: ‘That's actually the way I paint myself - I also like to paint directly from the model, but when I compose a picture, I want to say something! A bit like in a story, i.e. you have actors and they go on a journey - of course it should be open to the viewer, but I want to inspire a bit to work towards the composition, to make a statement before just going for it. I think it's very important to lose yourself in time and not just think about the final result, but to enjoy painting and having fun with that statement and the journey you're taking with the painting.’
Styrian Summer Art: What is the best, the most beautiful thing about painting for you?
Jay Finger: ‘When I'm painting, I forget everything, time stands still and you go on a painting journey with colour and form and realise how beautiful the world is.’
Styrian Summer Art: Jay, you were born in California and after an exciting career as an architect in L.A., you moved to Europe in 1989, first to Mannheim / Germany and have been living in Klosterneuburg for some time now. Would you say that this ‘change of location’ has had an effect on your artistic work - if so, I assume in what way?
Jay Finger: ‘Oh, that's hard to say. I've always been an artist, even as an architect, I was in draft design. When I had a baby 30 years ago, I wanted to be with him as much as possible, so I started painting and have been painting ever since. In the beginning, soon after moving, I started to paint a lot of pictures of sunny places, of the sea and where the sun really beats down and the shadows become very clear. I guess because you have to spend a lot of time indoors here in winter.
Styrian Summer Art: What made you decide to work as a painter, even though you studied sculpture and architecture in Northridge/L.A.?
Jay Finger: ‘I always wanted to be a painter! But when you tell parents that, you are confronted with the fact that it is financially difficult to make a living as a painter. Some people who make it are also very involved in marketing, which has little to do with art. I started painting as soon as I was able to.’
Styrian Summer Art: I'm quoting you verbatim: ‘We all need to start working to make this world a better place, and fast!’How do you see your contribution as an artist?
Jay Finger: ‘I'm trying to say something with my paintings. I truly believe that this change has to start with ourselves. I don't want to appeal to anyone, you have to feel it within yourself. But we are drowning in consumerism, in plastic...actually people want to change so much, even though they have come from stardust and are basically perfect in themselves, in my opinion we have to take better care of the earth.
Styrian Summer Art: You are an experienced art educator and this year we welcome you to Pöllau for the first time as an artistic workshop leader at Styrian Summer Art! What do you want most for yourself and the workshop participants? Or your vision for it.
Jay Finger: ‘I'm actually coming to Pöllau for the first time! My vision is for people to have fun! To really enjoy your work, to find your own handwriting and try to say something in your pictures, to find your own self-expression!’