Artists Interview Artists: Miguel Ángel Ávila

Miguel Ángel Ávila, an artist from Houston, TX, participates in the Artists Interview Artists Project. Below Miguel responds to another artist's five questions (Mark Creegan from Jacksonville, FL). In order to participate, Miguel had to provide me with five questions for some other artist to answer. The assigning of questions to artists is completely random.

Opium Attack
Acrylic, colored pencil and collage on Masonite
12" x 16"
2006

1) Do you ever feel that the ambition of your art practice far exceeds the role it plays or its influence within the discourse of art? If so is this a problem or do you not think in these terms and consider the personal fulfillment of making work and challenging yourself enough to sustain you?

I do not believe I worry that much about things like that. It’s like something is missing at the end of the day if I didn’t draw or read about art. I just enjoy painting, expressing my ideas and thoughts through art.

2) If your studio were to burn down (The gods forbid!) what is the first thing you would do to begin again? Would you continue with what you were doing or perhaps make a fresh start?

I would organize a benefit art show!... To be honest I don’t think anything major would happen, other that probably making a reference of that event into one or two of my works. But as far as changing the direction I’m headed, whatever that is, I don’t think so.

3) How important is reinvention to you in sustaining your practice?

I’ve always said that if tomorrow I feel like doing something different with a painting, I’ll definitively go for it. Seems a little boring to me to keep painting the same thing over and over again. I know some people do it on purpose so everybody can recognize them, others because their own market forces them to do it (in that case I don’t blame them, we have to eat right?). I can say at this point I feel totally free, with a long list of things to paint.

4) Describe a recent breakthrough you made in your work. Was it a self realized one or come from some external source?

I used to be very ‘respectful’ of the medium. For instance, if I was working with acrylics that’s all I would use; but lately I’ve been more open to use different things on the same piece. Right now I’m working on a series of paintings using wood panels. I’m working with acrylics, ink, pencil, felt pen and gouache. And I’m letting the various wood veneer grains and textures to become part of the painting as well, by being partially visible.

5) What do want others to remember you for? For example, would you want to be known as a hard worker, an innovative thinker, a skilled craftsman, a crazy artist etc.?

An artist who beyond the skills was a creator of images. Someone who was able to ‘listen’ to the ‘music’.

Lordosis, Kyphosis, Trombosis
Acrylic on canvas panel
9" x 12"
2006

Previous Interviews:
Juno Doran (questions by James W. Bailey)
Josh Feldman (questions by Joseph Barbaccia)
Lisa Stephenson (questions by Whitney Lynn)
Joseph Barbaccia (questions by Josh Feldman)
James W. Bailey (questions by Matt Hollis)
Matt Hollis (questions by Juno Doran)
Carol Es (questions by James Leonard)
Alexandra Silverthorne (questions by Ami Lahoff)
Christine Buckton Tillman (questions by Carol Es)
Douglas Witmer (questions by Alexandra Silverthorne)
Sky Pape (questions by Douglas Witmer)
Whitney Lynn (questions by Lisa Stephenson)
Heather Levy (questions by Joanne Greenbaum)
Heather Lowe (questions by Samantha Wolov)
Samantha Wolov (questions by Heather Levy)
Timothy McClellan (questions by Heather Lowe)
James Leonard (questions by Sky Pape)
Joanne Greenbaum (questions by Timothy McClellan)
Richard Kooyman (questions by Robert Walton)
Candy Keegan (questions by Warren Craghead)
Robert Walton (questions by Candy Keegan)
John M. Adams (questions by Richard Kooyman)
Prescott Moore Lassman (questions by Mary Addison Hackett)
Mary Addison Hackett (questions by Prescott Moore Lassman)
Andrew Wodzianski (questions by Nathan Manuel & D.Billy)
Nathan Manuel & D.Billy (questions by Andrew Wodzianski)
Michael Janis (questions by Scott Listfield)
Scott Listfield (questions by Michael Janis)
F. Lennox Campello (questions by Sean Hennessy)
Matt Andrade (questions by Adrian Parsons)
Sean Hennessy (questions by F. Lennox Campello)
George Wayne (questions by Michelle McAuliffe)
Eridanus Sellen (questions by Anabela Jevtovic)
Anabela Jevtovic (questions by Eridanus Sellen)
Marianela de la Hoz (questions by A.B. Miner)
Martin Henry (questions by Barbara Johnson-Gresser)
A.B. Miner (questions by George Wayne)
Barbara Johnson-Gresser (questions by Martin Henry)
Adrian Parsons (questions by Matt Andrade)
Heather Schmaedeke (questions by Patricia Hartnett)
Anthony Easton (questions by Melissa Kennedy)
Roz Leibowitz (questions by Anthony Easton)
Melissa Kennedy (questions by Tracy Lee)
Michelle McAuliffe (questions by Marianela de la Hoz)
Tim Folzenlogen (questions by Jason Hanasik)
Rob Willms (questions by Dott Schneider)
Marsha Stein (questions by Gregg Chadwick)
Jason Hanasik (questions by Tim Folzenlogen)
John LeKay (questions by Rosa Naparstek)
Brock Neilson (questions by Richard Vosseller)
Rosa Naparstek (questions by Howard Salmon)
Patricia Hartnett (questions by Verta Reyes)
William Andrews (questions by Bean Gilsdorf)
Howard Salmon (questions by John LeKay)
Corey Amaro (questions by Jason Dean and Matt Nash)
Michael Grayeagle (questions by Chris Ashley)
Marion Boddy-Evans (questions by Deborah Fisher)
Richard Vosseller (questions by Brock Neilson)
Deborah Fisher (questions by Corey Amaro)
Eileen Wold (questions by Michael Grayeagle)
Rob Myers (questions by William Andrews)
Gregg Chadwick (questions by Marsha Stein)
Chris Ashley (questions by Eileen Wold)
Verta Reyes (questions by Heather Schmaedeke)
Jason Dean & Matt Nash (questions by Rob Myers)
Mary Taitt (questions by Adriane Giberson)
Adriane Giberson (questions by Peter Ferko)
Peter Ferko (questions by Amethyst Begley)
Susan Schwake-Larochelle (questions by Jean Hutter)
Jean Hutter (questions by Mary Stebbins Taitt)
Amethyst Begley (questions by Kimberley Lindsley)
Kimberley Lindsley (questions by Susan Schwake-Larochelle)
Prem Singh (questions by Alison Rose)
Erin Antognoli (questions by Karen Winters)
Denis Peterson (questions by Andrea Pratt)
Jennifer Seymour (questions by Erin Antognoli)
Imants Ozers (questions by Denis Peterson)
Mark Malmgren (quesntions by Fiona Ross)
Remi Viger (questions by Brady Hegberg)
Fiona Ross (questions by Susan Constanse)
Susan Constanse (questions by Remi Viger)
Amie Oliver (questions by Christin Ciaccio Briggs)
Christin Ciaccio Briggs (questions by Dawn Whetzel)
Tara Krause (questions by Cathy Breslaw)
Dawn Whetzel (questions by Tara Krause)
Warren Craghead (questions by John M. Adams)
Dwayne Butcher (questions by Miguel Avila)
Zachary Stadel (questions by Walter Logeman)