A practicing artist since 2010, Palmer identifies himself as an Abstract Expressionist painter who works primarily with oil on canvas. Creating complete abstract work has always appealed to him as it’s so far removed from reality. What may begin as something figurative or a vague idea can evolve into something completely unrecognizable.
How are you today Preston?
I am feeling great today! The average temperature In Minneapolis has been -10 degrees Fahrenheit so it’s difficult going outside without your face freezing but today it is 35 degrees and the sun is shining. I even got to ride my bike today which I haven’t done since summer so I’m feeling pretty good.
Could you tell us a bit about your background? How did you get interested art?
I grew up in a very small and segregated town in northern Minnesota. What I would call“serious art” was not really that prevalent. Most everybody was more into craft and consumer art which I was not. I always wanted to create serious art that heavily reflected my emotion rather than painting cute puppies on a piece of wood and selling it
for $20 at a local art fair. My latest years of high school I studied many different things like pottery, painting, photography, bookmaking, etc. I think I was most attracted to painting after I visited a museum in Minneapolis and saw a giant oil painting of two abstract naked women. It was very grotesque and I was sort of taken back by it.
Afterwards I thought to myself that I wanted to create something where people would have some kind of emotional response like I had. I went to college for Business since I never thought that painting would be a career for me until I moved to Minneapolis. I realized that painting was actually something that I was serious about and I wanted to
make it a career rather than a hobby. Over the last few years I’ve slowly collected my own tools and materials and have studied art on my own. It has not been easy but I’m determined to continue learning on my own, creating art, and exhibiting my work.
Who are your biggest artist influences?
There are honestly so many so I will narrow this down to the most notable. Abstract Expressionist painters Franz Kline, Willem de Kooning, and Jasper Johns. I’m sure you can see elements of all three of these artists in my work. Musicians Trent Reznor and Tori Amos definitely are huge artist influences as well.
What inspires you?
I am inspired by dramatic and surreal things. Modern and brutalist architecture, geometric patterns, body modification, minimalism, even food is a huge inspiration. Lately I’ve really been into very dramatic acoustic music. The kind of music where you’re just like wow, how is this noise even coming from a human. Although many of
these things are not directly reflected in my work there is some relation. Modern architecture, body modification, gastronomy and food can sometimes be extreme, which is okay. Everyday life should not be ordinary.
How do you name your paintings?
Most of my paintings are “untitled” as they are non-objective and do not relate to anything specific. Occasionally I will have something in mind while I paint whether it’s memories of a landscape, memories of events, or an idea or opinion. I have a painting titled “the unknown” which is somewhat suggestive. It is mostly black and you can see
thick swatches of black paint and sgraffito, all layered over what appears to be another painting underneath (the unknown). The reasoning for the title is that there is always some kind of fear of the unknown but also besides fear there is some level of excitement and spontaneity.
Which color will you marry with if you need to choose?
I don’t like to limit myself so I think I’d have an open marriage with black, yellow, and pink. Black appeals to me so much as it’s very formal and serious, as am I. Black is also a perfect contrasting color for negative space. Yellow and pink are also my favorites. They are calm and very forgiving colors which black is not. All together the three colors are a perfect match so this will have to be a complicated relationship as I cannot choose just one.
What is your next to do today?
Since the weather is so nice I will most likely go for a bike ride, maybe grab an Americano, take the pants off and relax! I also have been working on a large piece.
Fond more: @prestonpalmer_ / www.prestonpalmer.art