“I tend to allow the natural characteristics of the materials I have chosen dictate the compositions,” explains abstract painter Eric Adrian Lee. Whether he is staining, soaking or sanding his particular medium, the result is always a surprisingly beautiful canvas. For example, his large-scale dark composition, featuring a subtle spiral pattern, has a strange calming effect on the viewer; it makes you want to keep staring. Eric’s free-flowing use of materials makes each piece seem like an object of nature, allowing for cracks, rust, and drips to form. See the mark that Eric left on 10 ANSWERS with his responses below.
1. How would you describe your work in three words?
Less is more.
2. Who is your creative role model?
I have many, but when it comes to painting specifically I gravitate most towards work (painting) from the 60′s. If I had to pick one, it would be Antoni Tàpies, due to his dedication to endless experimentation with surface and his enormous body of work. I’d also like to mention Robert Rauschenberg, Anselm Kiefer, Julian Schnabel, Franz Kline, Aaron Siskind and Alberto Burri to name a few.
3. If you had an extra hour each day what would you do with it?
Realistically, I would work, but it would also be nice to sit in silence.
4. What place in the world most inspires you and why?
Haven’t been everywhere yet obviously, but most inspiring so far would be Prague. Prague is one of the oldest and most beautiful cities I’ve lived in. The walls of the city display such history and use. I can’t think of a place with more character. The city is quite dark and Gothic, every building is grey or black from years of burning coal as heat. The entire city is covered in black soot. I had the realization a few years back that Prague had left such an impression on me as a young adult that I feel that the feel of the city still manifests it’s self in my canvases. Walking around Prague feels mysterious, kind of like walking around in some one’s thoughts…
5. If you could do a different job for a day what would it be and why?
Well, I am heavy music connoisseur so I think it would be fun to work a day at the offices of a record label like BPitch Control (Germany) or Dagored (Italy). You know, with the experts in their field.
6. What is your favorite homemade gift to give?
A small work of art or a mix tape.
7. What is your favorite object in your home?
My record collection, but that’s more like 1,000 objects. Other treasured objects are my 1959 Fender Jazzmaster, my lasso, my armadillo shell, and a painting sketch in oil by my great grandfather Houghton Cranford Smith.
8. What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Less is more. Sorry to use the same answer twice. That was advice given to me by my Art professor Guy Chase.
9. What websites do you use for inspiration?
I don’t use the Internet for inspiration really. I like to walk around and look at or take photos of concrete, nature, rundown buildings and trashy yards. But to actually answer the question, Google image search.
10. When do you consider a piece of your work complete?
Good question! It can happen in various ways. Sometimes I will work on a painting until I get stuck. Then I’ll find myself staring at it for months until I realize that it is in fact finished already. In general, I will just know intuitively when a work is done. It’s usually quite obvious to me when that time comes.
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