Interview
Dragos Burghiu
Dragos is a self-taught painter who's currently based in Detroit, Michigan. His work takes traditional subjects such as landscapes and seascapes, and turn them into highly textured relief-like, almost sculptural pieces. With the goal in mind to evoke the desire in his viewers to touch his work, Dragos seeks to highlight how seeing art in person can never be truly captured by digital means.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“Like so many artists, I can't remember when I wasn't drawing or painting. Some of my earliest memories are watching my father, who was also an artist, create art. I was amazed an and found myself in love with trying to become as good as he is. During my college years, I graduated with a BFA in Graphic Design. And while now, I still occasionally pick up a gig here or there, I find this work unfulfilling. It was while I was creating my own artwork on the side that I had an epiphany to make painting my full time career and life. I was 25 years old at the time, but the certainty which I experience during my epiphany has only become stronger over the years. Now, my life has become my craft, and I only become more and more engrossed in the process.”
What does your work aim to say? Does it comment on any current social or political issues?
“My message is simple. Some things have to be experienced in person. This, of course, includes painting. All too often, I find myself looking at the amazing work of other artists through a two dimensional screen, and yearn to see their work in person. I wish to impart this yearning into all art viewers. I want to evoke in the viewer not just the desire to be there in person, but to actually touch the work itself.”
“My message is simple. Some things have to be experienced in person.”
Do you plan your work in advance, or is it improvisation?
“Both! There are times when I know exactly what I want to create from start to finish. However, I also work with an intuitive method. Meaning I let my intuition lead me, allowing me to experiment, make mistakes, and make new discoveries. There's also an in-between method where both planning and intuition meet. I find my growth as an artist has happened best when I venture into the unknown and often become uncomfortable with the work itself. I'll have concrete ideas of what I'm looking to achieve, yet the process of getting there is a mystery. I don't know how I'll get there, I just know I will.”
Are there any art world trends you are following?
“By accident, I'm now following the texture based trend. Although my journey into texture came as a result of wishing to create work that can't be captured by digital means. I, of course, am now the best texture based artist there is, but I've noticed this trend has come up a bit like the wheel. Meaning it didn't begin in one location, but naturally took hold through different people in different locations.”
What process, materials and techniques do you use to create your artwork?
“Currently, all my work is acrylic based. Modeling pastes and gels are at the heart of my work, helping mold the textures I create. I make many paintings at once, allowing for one to dry while I work on another. I always have around ten I'm building on. When I am painting the textures, people often think I use palette knives. I actually very rarely use them and mostly use my two trusty brushes. A worn out fan brush and a thin round brush.”
What does your art mean to you?
“It's my life and my reason to keep going. There are so many ideas I want to work on, and so many more facets I look forward to discovering. It's a gift that never stops giving and allows me to tap into my greatest potential. I can't wait to see where this is going to take me, what new ideas I'll adopt, who I'll meet, and what new forms of inspiration will capture me. A life without art, for me, isn't worth living.”
What’s your favourite artwork and why?
“I couldn't choose just one, and I wouldn't. There are just to many I admire. From the abstract work of Kandinsky, to the landscape realism of Ivan Shishkin. Or from the wonderful portraiture of Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun to the rebellious founders of Impressionism, where does one truly settle on a favorite?”
Website: www.dragosburghiu.com
Instagram: @dragos_paints
