I watched Ria's interview with sculptor and painter Keith M Ramsey. I found the interview interesting and helpful when thinking about my own relationship with art.
youtu.be/PBSV4BnacwQ I thought this interview was very interesting. Ramsey describes how him being let go from his job as a graphic designer in 2016 really ended up being one of the best things for him. He says how by that time, he was tired of being a graphic designer and having to tailor his projects specifically to his clientele, rather than having some artistic freedom. Personally, I like the idea of being a graphic designer because of the structure that having a client gives you, but I also understand that desire to just explore and be yourself. So, when Ramsey was let go, he took it as a sign from the universe that he would be okay on his own. He decided to make a career out of the art he was already making in his free time. Ramsey works with metalwork, ironwork, railings, tables, and furniture. He loves being able to take something useful, such as a grill or lamp, and making it completely original. His customers give him full control over the direction he takes his projects, which he appreciates. Ramsey is drawn to found objects because he believes they have a sort of personality that a new, freshly bought object simply lacks. He is the type of person to find a weird rusty nail on a sidewalk and put it in his pocket because he might want to use it in a project 2 years from now. Honestly, this type of thinking scares me because I feel like I would never stop just collecting things because I would always have that internal argument of if something is worth picking up; you never know what future-you will need, right? So, I prefer to sort of stay away from collecting found objects to that extreme, but it definitely works for Ramsey. I admire Ramsey's mindset of asking: "why not me?" By this, he means if someone else can make a cool painting or interesting sculpture, then why shouldn't he also be able to do so? I think this way of thinking is really empowering because it sort of carries an underlying message that if you apply yourself, then you can really achieve anything. One artist who really prompted Ramsey to ask the question "why not me?" is Melvin Edwards, a found-object sculptor. Ramsey was inspired by Edwards's work to create the largest metalwork sculpture he had ever done, which is actually located in Richmond. Ramsey's goals for the next year include continuing to make art every single day so that he can practice new skills with stainless steel and aluminum, expand his outreach, establish his own studio, and maybe hire someone to help him with installations.
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