Christian Egbert – ARTIST

Pen, pencil, and colored pencil.

Interview with artist Christian Egbert

Christian Egbert

1. Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Christian T. Egbert. I am a 23 year old artist/painter who currently resides in Bernville, Pennsylvania.

Pen and colored pencil.

Pen and colored pencil.

2. Why art?
Because I can completely let go of the world. I can forget about my problems, other people’s problems, the world’s problems, and become focused to the extent that I forget my own state of being. It’s similar to falling into a trans-like state of mind, and nothing else matters. There’s no talking, virtually no thoughts… and truly the only time anything is said is when I begin talking to myself. Every moment of ingesting mass amounts of caffeine and nicotine to keep myself moving with it is a mental pleasure. I’m married to what I do, and the sense of peace that comes with it.

Pencil drawing.

3. What is your earliest memory of wanting to be involved in art?
My earliest memory of wanting to be involved in art would have to be when I had observed my older siblings draw as a 4 or 5 year old kid. Most memories from that age are forgotten, but it is memories of this that have latched on, even till this day.

4. What are your favorite subject(s) and style(s)?
Typically I love drawing creatures and monsters. Things that are creepy in nature or some form of unnatural realism are beautiful to me. Anyone can do a painting of a fruit basket, but a photographer could just take a picture of a fruit basket, hang it on an adjacent wall, and get the same result from the crowd… what a shame, your painting didn’t stand out… but how often will you see a photographer take a picture of a creature eating and attacking personified fruit people? Not so often… But it’s guaranteed to stand off a public wall 100 times more. Twisting reality, and making it yours, would be the best definition of my style.

Pen and colored pencils.

5. How do you work and approach a new piece that you are working on?
Honestly, I get extremely anxious and excited when a blank canvas is placed in front of me. The desire to create something interesting and new, but taking forever to start, is mentally excruciating. Typically, I could be stuck brainstorming for hours on what I would like to paint, sometimes extending into days. Sometimes I have to force myself to slap abstract blobs onto canvas in order to pull shapes out of it, and to get my imagination into gear. But once the light bulb of an idea finally brightens, I cling onto the idea, knowing that any mistakes can always simply be painted over.

Pen and colored pencils.

6. What are your favorite artists?
I find inspiration in the works of David Choe, Alex Pardee, and Banksy.

Pen and colored pencils.

7. What are the best responses you have had to your work?
Most of the responses I get are usually the same, mostly positive. I’ve been told “My daughter/niece/nephew is your biggest fan!” which is flattering but… I don’t consider myself famous. I try to avoid letting the full emotion of the compliment from setting in because I am a very ego-evasive person. I am modest in my accomplishments, although appreciative to those who respond positively.

Colored pencils.

8. What do you like about your work?
One of my favorite things about my work is the fact that it is always changing in style. Due to the fact that I get easily bored with repetition, my attempts of new experiments commonly can be seen from piece to piece.

9. What advice would you give to other artists?
Live life making art, knowing that making the wrong turn could put you in a cardboard box in the alley, and accepting it and being content with it. If you can’t accept the risk, then live in compromise amongst the other “Sheeple”, regretting the fact that you didn’t try. It’s not my place to tell anyone how to live their life, but I won’t be in “the rocking chair of regret” at an old age, knowing I didn’t get up and shoot for my dreams.

My first Wacom Tablet project.
“Day of the dead girl” – Digital art

10. Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years?
I can’t foresee the future… especially with the seemingly unrealistic expectations I bestow on myself… but I can tell you what I hope to see. I hope to see myself making a living solely off of art. No more need of factory work to hold myself steady. I hope to see corporations reaching out to me in order to make their artistic needs a possibility through me. Being paid by magazines that want to display more of my work each week/month. Being paid to travel the world for campaigns, art events and causes. Painting murals, painting more things for restaurants and bars, basically any excuse I can think of that would in turn lead to my survival with what I love doing. All of that but much more.

Links —

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChrisEgbertArt
Email: Christian_egbert@hotmail.com