Artist Ira Upin
Congratulations to Ira Upin who has earned his place as a Finalist in the 4th Edition!
WHO ARE YoU?
I was born in Chicago and grew up in the city and then the suburbs. Probably, as has been the case with many artists, as a child I was given positive encouragement about what I did creatively. Whether it was true or not, at a young age if an adult tells you you are good at something you tend to believe it. So when teachers and family members would tell me how much they thought of my work I was convinced that I was an artist. I confirmed it to myself when around the impressionable age of 5, I drew a picture of my father that looked exactly like him. I couldn’t believe it, I must be an artist or at least someone who could transfer what I saw in reality to a 2-dimensional surface. As I got older I became more skilled, with an increasing desire to make stuff. This trait was obviously innate in my DNA. I instinctively enjoyed creating things, inventing, building, drawing, whatever – I liked to make things, it didn’t matter what.
“Fat Cat” (Winning Work)
By Ira Upin
Oil on Panel
What inspired you to begin painting and why paint as a medium?
I think I began painting as a simple matter of it being a traditional medium that I was introduced to as a student starting in grammar school and continuing through college. The longer I did it the better I got at it. Oil paint specifically has a smell and smooth consistency and texture that I love and that no other medium can match. I do use photography as a source for my paintings but not as a finished product. Years ago I did do highly rendered drawings in pencil and ballpoint pen but none in the past 45 years.
“Impossible Burden”
By Ira Upin
Oil on Panel
CAN YOU discuss the INSPIRATION behind “Fat Cat”?
“Fat Cat” was inspired by the experiences I have had in dealing with large scale building developers in my role as a co-chair of our neighborhood zoning committee. The ideas of arrogance, sense of power, and ego were always center stage with these personalties and made me further ponder the concept of strength.
“Driven”
By Ira Upin
Oil on Panel
CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH THE PHYSICAL CREATION OF THE WORK?
For the last 15 years or so I have been using hollow core doors for my painting surface either cutting them down to size or using biscuit joinery to put 2 door panels together if I want a large panel to work on. As with most of my hyperrealist works I use photos as my source material combining multiple images that either I took myself or the I find online or in print.
“Zero Gravity”
By Ira Upin
Oil on Panel
"FAT CAT" is part of a series, can you discuss with us the entire series, the journey and inspiration behind it?
“Fat Cat” is one painting in a series called Strongman. These paintings were straight oil paintings on wood panels. Each one is 36” square with a 5” wide painted border/frame with an image area of 26” square. They are a psychological examination of the ideas about strength, weakness, power, and self identity. All brought on by the real concept, for me, of aging.
“Focus”
By Ira Upin
Oil on Panel
WHAT projects are you working on currently? Can you discuss them?
I had started a new panting “Disguise” early this year as continuation of the TMTV - Too Much TV series using source images from the TV but with a different aesthetic take on the imagery. However I injured my shoulder and required surgery so I’ve been unable to work for the past 2 1/2 months. But I am hoping to get the clearance to start again next week.
“Legacy”
By Ira Upin
Oil on Panel
LASTLY, I would like to ask what advice you would give to your fellow artists/photographers?
The only advise I would offer is to always move forward, keep working at something, and embrace it 100%. Making the art always has to be the priority in mind even when distractions occur, and they always do, the artist needs to come back onto the path. Try anything and everything that comes to mind because eventually it all starts to make sense. It’s a marathon not a sprint.