Erik Foss: A Journey Through Art, Inspiration, and Transformation
Delving deep into the essence of creativity, Erik Foss shares a compelling narrative of his artistic evolution, from the seeds of inspiration planted in his early years to the diverse avenues of expression he explores today. With a career marked by relentless passion and a quest for authentic storytelling, Foss invites us into his world of art, reflecting on the challenges, triumphs, and profound moments that have shaped his journey. This interview unveils the man behind the canvas, revealing how his unique style, influenced by a mix of personal experiences and the vibrant energy of NYC, communicates a deeper understanding of humanity and the world around us.
Erik, can you share with us who or what initially inspired you to pursue a career in art?
That’s hard to say, I do know that my mom still reminds me of the time I told her I was going to live in NYC and be an artist. That was in the early 80’s when I told her this.
How did your early experiences shape your artistic journey?
There are some bright experiences and then some not so bright. My father was a mechanical engineer, so he was creative, but he wasn’t that nice. He had a “friend” who was a bartender at this bar he would drag us to. This bartender was an illustrator.
He made work using an airbrush. I’d say this was my earliest artistic experience.
Could you walk us through your creative process?
I keep most of this stuff close to the chest. First thing I do every morning is make my bed. Then I feed myself. Do some breath work, make the emails / dm’s / texts, then eventually head to the studio.
I am a late riser due to what I had to do for a living for 25 years. I worked nights mostly, so this has me hard wired at this point. I load up on caffeine at my local coffee spots on my walk to the studio. Once I get in, I make sure everything is set up for the days sesh.
This could be making collages, drawings, using the airbrush, setting up the oils/acrylics or simply reorganizing the flat files as I am always pulling works out so there’s always a mess. If my assistant Paul isn’t available to help me for the day, set up takes a bit longer.
I change into work clothes as I avoid getting paint on my street clothes. Once station is all set up, I put on some jams, get my caffeine/sugary beverages in place and I get to it. I tend to not stop till I’m cross-eyed, so these sessions can take me into the early morning hours. I usually am physically painting from 7pm-2am, Monday-Friday unless there’s openings I need to attend.
Once I’m finished, I clean up, put the street clothes back on, shut the lights off and then take my ten-minute walk down to empty, quiet Chinatown. Throughout my stages of the night, I will take progress pics as they can come in handy sometimes.
How do you approach the inception of a new piece, from concept to completion?
Usually they start as a thought/vision. These can happen any place at any time. They are little gifts, I guess. I can’t explain them, they just keep happening. It’s proof to me that there are some kind of higher powers.
Your work is known for its distinctive style. Can you describe the evolution of this style and
what you aim to communicate through it?
Well, that’s easy I had to make a shit ton of terrible garbage art until it was good, or at least good enough for you lovely humans to think it’s worthy of your time.
All joking aside it’s all hard work, persistent searching for answers and truths. Telling stories and pointing out the good and bad in humanity. But ultimately never giving up and attacking each piece with the thought that this may be what humanity remembers me by.
As far as what I aim to communicate... that’s assuming you’re asking what the concept of the snake is?
It has to do with how working-class children are introduced to art. The lack of culture to so many ( 99% ) and where we found those sparks of inspiration. My snakes are my story.
Looking back on your career, what do you consider your most significant achievement or turning point as an artist?
So many milestones, that one’s hard to say. Maybe I’ll give you my first. It was the first time a kid walked up to me and asked me if he could get me to sign something, that shit nearly made me cry.
What has been the most challenging aspect of your career, and how did you overcome it?
Poverty, most likely. The way I overcame poverty was to put my head down and put in the work in. This won’t work for everyone, and I also had to get sober. Poverty and addiction go hand and hand. Letting go of ego and the feeling I was owed something as well. Some folks just have to wait their turn.
Where do you currently find inspiration for your work, and how has this changed over the years?
Inspiration comes from everywhere at any time, this will never change for me luckily. I’ve never had a shortage of ideas, thank God. But to nail it down to one thing, I’d have to say NYC is my biggest inspiration, the only place I can imagine where there’s never a dull moment.
How has the rise of digital media and social platforms affected your work and
its reception?
I have always been a quick adapter even if I don’t approve of it. I was around for the birth of computers, so I feel like I’ve always been connected. My father was involved in the inception of this technology as an engineer.
So yeah, it’s a tool and if treated with respect it can benefit one’s carrier.
If you could create an art installation in any location in the world, real or fictional, where would it be and what would it entail ?
It would be off world. I’ve always had an idea for the moon. My friend Zac Williams planted that seed a while back. Besides that, maybe the ancient pyramids or the Grand Canyon. If you’re going to think big, then really grab them bulls by the nutts.
Imagine you could travel back in time and exhibit your work alongside any artist from history.
Who would you choose and why?
Hard to pick one, so I’ll pick 5:
1) Caravagio (master of light)
2) De Kooning (master of color)
3) Twombly (master mark maker)
4) Giger (most visionary of all the artists)
5) Richter (master of multiple mediums all at once)
If your artwork could be represented by three songs, which would you choose and how do they resonate with your creations?
1) Slayer, ‘South of Heaven’ - This song would represent the intensity behind the work.
2) Orb ‘Fluffy Clouds’ - This song represents the beauty of the colors.
3) The Verve ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ - The sound of the place where my work comes from.
Is there a project or piece you've dreamed of creating but haven't yet been able to realize? What's stopping you, and how do you imagine it would look or impact viewers?
Giant bronze sculptures. Money is always the roadblock. It would melt people’s minds due to the sheer size and the story it would tell.
