Interview with Boulder artist John Suchsland

“Life inevitably and inherently poses challenges to which you either rise or placate. I have and always will test the limits where self-discovery can be recognized and the truth forthcoming. People’s happiness, the sustained health of this planet and progress are all dependent on me & you. It is the essence of truth that is free of all religious beliefs, preconceived ideas and is inherently the root of all cultures. Through my art I aspire to sow seeds of truth and inspire people to delve into the discovery of their own authentic truths [selves]; share this deeper found faith with each other, and thus create a coalescence where the unification is much more powerful than its individual parts.”

Around the process of creating a more sophisticated John Süchsland brand identity John explains, “My identity as an artist hasn’t changed nor have I limited myself to any certain or specific creative process. I am simply trying to create more visibility to my art, so people interested can be stimulated. Good or bad… I want them to think about themselves and the world around them.

John Süchsland grew up in and around NYC with his father, a sculptor, as his primary artistic influence. Experiencing the collision of the pop and fine art cultures during the 60’s, 70’s & 80’s, John dispelled the preconceived ideas of “art” and embarked on his own autodidact quest as an artist. John’s diverse accomplishments and experiences throughout life, brings a myriad of colorful elements to his artistic expression.

John bases his abstract visual work on three fundamental mantras – Color, Flow and Truth. “Through my art I examine the nature of truth and explore the disguises and authentic relationships between me and you in the universal world.” John’s vision expressed through the continued playfulness with geometric design, pop culture images, social commentary and humor in an endless array of continuously evolving techniques such as pour, pigment separation, splat and aero-applications, he shares a fresh and abstract pop art perspective. “It is imperative to me as an artist to continuously embrace a dynamic, self-reflective exploration of deep, raw, human truth,” explains John, who incorporates cultural images seen in ceremony, cartoons, and social commentary, coupled with the flow of a sometimes drunken mind.

Q&A with John

What do you wish to communicate and inspire through your art?

A simple truth that’s in all of us… be it a feeling that brings you back to your childhood or a more cerebral affect of knowing and understanding yourself and the world and universe that surrounds you. I believe most people don’t really see, when they peer out through their eyes. My art strives to have an effect of seeing without ego, knowing through instinct and having compassion through understanding. It’s within all of us, but the mirrors in our bathrooms and the concrete outside our homes distracts us from the simple truth that it’s really me and you when the time comes.

Where would your dream exhibit be?

I don’t know. The shallow, materialistic side of me would have to say “the Guggenheim”. It’s at the forefront and most widely know venue for modern art. But the virtuous, altruistic side of me would have to say…it doesn’t matter…as long as I influence just one person and have them see themselves and the others without ego and with great empathy. You know, that one person might just be me. But isn’t that what art is all about. Self-realization.

What is the favorite piece of art you have created to date?

I would have to say I have two. I think “The Curious Horse” was my best when is comes to use of color and depiction. And “Reflections” probably is the most interesting. It has the most depth even though it’s a rather simple image. It’s the basis of my idea…an idea with a rather powerful force behind it…the truth.

I hear that Banksy is one of your sources of inspiration. What about his work inspires you?

He makes the mundane interesting and he takes risks to do so. I think that’s the root of truly being creative.

We hear over and over that a positive outcome of the financial climate has been that people have to find creative resources, and look deeper to find true meaning – did the financial meltdown inspire you?

I was inspired to hide under my bed more often. But seriously, this past year was a great study of human behavior. The idea of fear and lack of confidence really can control our lives. We’re all so integrated to the economy that I really believe that art can and should play a bigger part when chaos and hardship comes. I think being creative in difficult times empowers us. It’s a way of saying fuck you to the capitalist machine and to take back an identity that we all lose when we commit to a 9-5 job or a specific society. For me I was inspired by seeing those negative effects. It made me understand others and myself better. You really find out if you’re a pessimist or an optimist. Now, I hope my art will have more depth because of it and people will understand more about the simplicities of life instead of their stock portfolio.