Interview with Peter Adamyan

q)Who are you? Where are you from and where do you live now?

a)My name is Peter Adamyan, I?m currently 23 years old, grew up in the suburbs of Los Angeles and am currently living in the San Francisco Bay area.

q)What is it that you do? What media do you use?

a)I consider myself an oil painter above all else. I usually work with oil and sometimes acrylic on cut out and layered pieces of wood.

q)What do you think sets your work apart?

a)To find the best answer for that you?d have to ask someone who is a fan of my work, but if I?d have to answer I guess it would be the three dimensional relief effect I create with the layers of wood. As for content it would be my willingness to use what some may consider offensive content. I also expect the viewer to think a little when looking at my work, and that sets me apart from anyone that creates anything in this society if they expect to achieve a wide audience.

q)How long have you been showing your work for? Did you have a ?big break??

a)For about four years now. Haven?t had a big break yet.

q)What are some things that have inspired you?

a)Everything from the cartoons I grew up with to the authors I read now as an adult. I?m hugely inspired by music, film and anything that comes from our popular culture. I tend to use those to promote my beliefs in science, reason and my beliefs against superstitions like religion. As for artists I?m highly inspired by the great masters and the traditional low brow artists such as Robert Williams, R. Crumb, S. Clay Wilson and the like.

q)What have you been working on recently?

a)I’m working on various pieces for some upcoming group shows. I?ve generally just been trying to get back into the groove of things after my recent solo show at Lopo Gallery.

q)Do you listen to music while you create your work? If so, would you give some examples?

a)I listen to music, or watch movies or TV shows. I listen to a lot of old American folk and blues music, gospel music, shoegaze, a lot of stuff really, from Leonard Cohen and Karen Dalton to Daniel Johnston and Jandek, I?d rather not get too into it or this question would take up the whole interview.

q)Do you do work in any other media? Other projects not necessarily related to your main body of work?

a)Not currently, don?t have the time, I?ve been experimenting with block printing and will hopefully have some block prints out sooner rather then later.

q)What advice do you have for artists looking to show their work?

a)Push yourself.

q)Do you have any upcoming exhibitions of your work that you can mention?

a)I’m always showing in a group show somewhere best to follow me on line to keep up to date.

q)Where can people see more of your work on the internet?

a)Either at my website www.peteradamyan.com or if you want to keep up to date on everything, add me on facebook.