Interview
Collyn Gold
Collyn Gold is a contemporary artist whose bold, abstract paintings delve into the emotional and spiritual layers of human experience. Working primarily with acrylic, ink and gouache as well as more striking materials such as gold leaf and holograph paper. Collyn’s work is known for its striking use of color and texture, creating dynamic compositions that invite viewers to explore the unseen forces behind each piece. Collyn earned a BFA in Fine Arts from the School of Visual Arts in 2009, where a rigorous education in technique and theory helped shape a distinctive artistic voice. A life-changing battle with Guillain-Barré Syndrome leading to an intense near-death experience, which shifted Collyn’s artistic and spiritual perspective from one of agnosticism to that of a spiritual knowing of somethings greater than ourselves which connects all energy and matter. During this time, the physical ability to create art was severely impacted, leading to a period of reflection that deepened the work’s emotional and spiritual dimensions.
Art became a healing process, and the paintings began to reflect the fragility of existence and the profound interconnectedness of all life. Now based in New York, Collyn’s work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions and is held in private and international collections. Each piece is a deeply personal expression, where the abstract meets the emotional, offering viewers a space for reflection and connection.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“My artistic journey began with a strong educational foundation at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City, where I graduated with a BFA in Fine Arts in 2009. This experience honed my technical skills and gave me the confidence to develop my unique artistic vision. After SVA, my career took a transformative turn when I began working with visionary artists Alex and Allyson Grey at the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors (CoSM). This mentorship offered me not only artistic inspiration but also a spiritual lens through which to view her work, blending creativity with a profound sense of purpose. Under their guidance, I gained exposure to the spiritual and metaphysical dimensions of art, which has influenced my approach and deepened my connection with my craft. This period became a cornerstone of my artistic identity, allowing me to emerge as a creator with a vision that transcends conventional boundaries. Through both my formal training and spiritual mentorship, I have forged a path that speaks to resilience, transformation, and a deeper understanding of art’s power to heal and inspire.”
What inspires you?
“I am inspired not only by other artists, but by the weird, the eccentric and the curious. Nature, architecture, patterns, sacred geometry, fluid dynamics, the quantum world, fractals and alternate states of consciousness - connecting us to a divine energy and the interconnectedness of all things.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“My work touches on themes of juxtaposition such as chaos vs order, man vs nature, technology vs organic form, and microcosm vs macrocosms. I also touch on the idea of pareidolia which is our intrinsic ability to find faces, and order in random objects. I invite the viewers to create their own ideas of what they see in the colors and shapes found throughout the painting, no idea is wrong! My underlying message in my work is to feel the joy evoked by beautiful colors, and by including the spirograph tool as a means to introduce infinite fields of pattern, inspired by the patterns found in Islamic art, and combining them with the mandala-like structures found in tantric Buddhist art, is almost a way of saying in the end we are all the same. These shapes acting almost as a portal to other dimensions.”
How would you describe your work?
“I describe my work as a combination between contemporary abstract expressionism and intuitive visionary art. An expression of altered conciousness or meditative states. I hope it to evoke joy in the viewer and act as a healing tool, using color and geometry used for thousands of years to represent the ineffable, and hopefully bring peace or a sense of fun to the viewer.”
Which artists influence you most?
“Peter Max, Hilma af Klint, Gustov Klimpt, Alphonse Mucha, Ernst Heckle, Alex and Allyson Grey, Oliver Vernon, Mars-1, Damon Soule, Issac Abrams, Debra Hampton, and too many more to name!”
“My underlying message in my work is to feel the joy evoked by beautiful colors, and by including the spirograph tool as a means to introduce infinite fields of pattern.”
What is your creative process like?
“My process is a very intuitive one. Sometimes, I will begin with an idea of how I want to balance the piece with spirographs or mandala-like shapes but that’s as far as I go with preplanning. I was always one of those painters who never knew what they wanted to make, feeling all my ideas to be contrite or boring. A blank canvas can be very intimidating so I like to make a controlled mess. Much like the inkblot Roarschack test, I begin by creating very colorful ink blots, and letting them dry, trying very carefully not to let the colors mix too much, avoiding muddy messes at all cost. Once the ink is dry, I meditate on the darker and lighter parts and start to figure out where my darkest shadows need to go, and where my lightest highlights need to go, creating depth and foreground, and using my concept of pareidolia to find actual images such as animals, flora and fauna. One of my last steps is introducing microscopic shapes, such as triangles made out of gold leaf and holograph paper to creating a new way for people to interact with the work. gaining a closer look, and or moving side to side to see the light hit the holograph paper, adding another viewing element.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“I think an artists role in society is an extremely important one. If you don't agree, throw out all your music, throw out all your books, get rid of your tv, your cell phone, all the movies, comic books, clothing and jewlrey, and basically any other form of entertainment because they were all created by artists in one form or another. I see the artworld changing with the creation of AI programs, which, interesting, is really quite souless and boring. On the other hand, the introduction to these all encompassing, interactive digital art rooms bringing to life the art of painters like Van Gogh and Klimpt or interactive art mazes like Meow-Wolf, has created a whole new way for people who may never have been interested in art at all to become physically interactive with these creative spaces.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“I have an upcoming exhibition on October 10th 2024 from 6-8pm. This is my second major group art show in Chelsea, NYC at Agora Gallery, 530 W 25th street, New York, NY.”
Instagram: @Goldiepantzz
Other links: www.facebook.com/CollynGoldArts
