Meet Adam Feibelman | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Adam Feibelman, and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Adam, we’d love to hear more about your end-goal, professionally.

For an artist, it’s extremely difficult to know what success is. On the other hand, it’s much easier to ask, “What’s the end goal?” For me, the end goal is to have a life of open creativity, where my imagination and active mind are allowed to be free.

The self-determination in art is the success. It’s a freedom that not many people are willing to risk instability for. It’s also a tall ask for the people who depend on you and who are there in support. Much like anything good, there has to be a balance, even if it’s on a razor’s edge. So, where would I want to be professionally at the end of my career? I would like to have a happy, well-fed family who respects, at the very least, the risky journey.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

For years, I’ve been known for paper cutting and stencil making. It’s a process I’ve developed over time, starting with a one-layer paper cut technique and evolving into a multi-plate/layer process similar to printmaking. When spray painted, this process yields a photorealistic painting. With mastery of that process, I felt liberated to approach my subject matter differently. I had pushed the technique to its furthest point.

That’s when I started getting large-scale private and public commissions, like the Chase Center and ground-up home builds. These new challenges allowed my attention to wander into the world of ideas. I needed to be able to answer questions and articulate clearly what I wanted to do. So, for a time, I went through a crash course in all of this. Meanwhile, the new way of thinking was making its way into my studio work. I came to the realization that I was hiding a lot of who I am as an artist.

So I dropped all the tricks. No more photos. No more trying to impress through technique. Now, it’s a reduced sauce where I draw everything with a knife in one shot. This freehand image making is extremely risky because I could spend weeks cutting something out and ruin it with one move. The only way to make it is to not mess up. So, it makes process decisions of the utmost importance. None of this is easy, and the challenges are the best part. I think it’s that same dedication to my work that has gotten me to where I am professionally today. The process decisions, it turns out, are just as important in a career as they are in my work.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Definitely check out the murals around Cabbagetown. Then eat everything the rest of the time.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

My wife and my parents, hands down. First off, my wife, the mother of my kids, has helped me be clear in my intentions. If it doesn’t make sense to her, it won’t make sense to anyone. She’s an anchor to reality that has kept our ship from floating into outer space on many occasions. Without her, I’d be somewhere near Neptune. Beyond that, she’s also a master at process, and I’ve learned a lot from her about taking things in a step-by-step way. She’s the best.

Secondly, my parents, who recognized how my creativity was just about my only path forward and not only supported me but pushed me toward who I am today.

Website: http://adamfeibelman.com/

Instagram: @adam5100

Image Credits
I took these photos