Interview
Grantland Jackson
Grantland Jackson’s art holds an empathetic base, while engaging in different strokes of mental health and moods. Every collection holds a different story, climax, and death.
It’s imperative that Grantland’s art expresses the layers of imagination, and the connection they make in coping with his viewers’ traumas. His great desire is to get people to connect and self-reflect in one group of work or another. His works vary, using different styles, colors, directions, and levels of comfort in order to touch as many people as possible.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I grew up in a small town within Hartford County, Maryland, USA. I was an average mix suburban kid growing within a dysfunctional environment. I always had my eyes on the sky. Growing up different from everyone else and surrounded by negativity, art was an outlet and coping mechanism.
Having an aggressive father and a mother with PTSD, I looked towards the things I could imagine, since reality was too disturbing for me as a child. As I was growing up, I learned more and more about mental illness and mental health, so I could help my mom and myself. In doing so, I recognized the strong connections I made with art, my struggles and success. I continued to keep that bond. Since the age of 18, I’ve been trying different techniques, mediums, canvases, etc., in order to find what best executes the strongest expression of ‘Me in the moment’.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“My theme is Pop art and Surrealism”
“There are many underlying messages within my pieces because I’m constantly at war with my mental illness. I leave messages, symbols and secrets in my pieces for people to find. They reveal an inspiring message that encourages them to keep going on with life.”
What inspires you most?
“There are 2 things that inspire me most. First, as a soldier in the battle against depression, I find myself in a life and death situation where if I don’t do what I love, I will perish. So I’ll keep producing passionate pieces for the sake of my own life.
The other is the unknown. Whether or not I know where my art will take me, or what I’m even going to draw/paint next. I enjoy the lack of knowledge regarding what happens next. The art of the unknown is the bond between reality and fantasy. Something you have only imagined achieving, could be a reality for you overnight. Life is a gamble, and I don’t want to waste my turn rolling the dice.”
How would you describe your work?
“My work varies immensely, from dark, surrealistic, or monstrous, to simplistic fun designs. I bring a spectrum of styles that aim to connect with the viewer. In my current project, I create characters with folds, bends and pinched areas that are similar to the human body. I paint these characters in various colors, give them common facial expressions, and let the audience tell the story of what’s going on in each piece. As strange as that sounds, the artwork is something fun to look at, and can even hold a comical sense as a result. But if you compare it to a more detailed piece like ‘Eden of the Deep’ (shown above) where a jellyfish holds an island within itself, and in the center of the island, there’s an orb floating in place, you can see there’s an all-around difference. There is nothing negative implied, nor any encouragement to negative intentions.”
Which artists influence you most?
“I have many artist who have influenced me over time, judging from the various styles of work I’ve done over the years. The first artist that influenced me the most was Matisse and his compelling color theory. He taught me what colors I like seeing adjacent to each other, and reminds me that I should enjoy my artwork the way I see others enjoying it. The saturated colors in his works may have something to do with my color usage.
But I do have some honorable mentions such as Pez, Glen Ronald, and Dino Tomic, for they constantly transform my art style.”
What is your creative process like?
“Funnily enough, I do have an involuntary art trigger in which when I’m in the middle of doing something productive, I become aware of how productive I am, and then fight the urge to stop what I’m doing to paint and draw additional pieces in that moment. I do dedicate more time to drawing when there’s a commission or purpose to finish a piece. But mostly, I paint or draw when I’m productive and aware of it.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“That’s an easy question to answer. We’re here to communicate, relate, and empower 20% of your conscious self and 80% of your subconscious. We are here to produce change in all ways possible, and we are placed more like the veins of society. Nothing flows without art in it. The pressure we build within our means keeps people moving, and whether for or against it, the artist succeeds!
Art is ingrained in all topics, whether we use it to promote or to put down. Art is on all sides of every choice a human makes. Art will forever maintain a great status in the future, and it will have more creative engagement as we proceed to elevate it.”
