Alex Antonescu

Who or what influenced your art when you were young?
The first art I knew I fell in love with instantly and that influences my style always it’s PopArt. The new era of AvantGarde and the beginning of the 50s I think it was my first real love that I still stand by. Keith Haring was one of the most present artist in my home since I was born, my whole family is passionate about underground New York and experimentalism. Also we share the same birthday!

Do you remember what your first artwork looked like? Do you still have it?
I am not sure if it is the first one but it is definitely one of the first ones. It was an illustration I did in primary school about a poem. It was an insect party centered around a sad musician cricket. And yes, I still have the illustration, it is really colorful!

Why did you choose illustration as your life’s work instead of, for example, filmmaking, law, or even medicine?
I don’t know if I chose illustration or illustration chose me. Since I am studying graphic design I dabbled with logo, typography and editorial too but I never had that much success with them like I had with illustration. Everytime I post one of my illustrations I always get a lot more positive feedback and people tend to like it more. That is why I am answering this questions right now, because I got praised on my illustrations, I think illustration was the way all the way!

Did you study art in school?
Yes. I was in art school and in an artistic background since I was born. My grandfather was a photographer, first from my city, and my mom was a ballerina. I was raised with art history in my bookcase.

Where does your inspiration come from; your impulse to make art? Do you have a source for your ideas?
I always like to take polaroids and shoot film photography, in my opinion old photography has a lot more expressivity. When I try to get inspired or I get creatively stuck I always go through my photo bucket and look at them. My last series included them also. I find my own past my perfect inspiration.

Do you have a favourite artist? What is it about that artist’s work you like?
I think my favorite should be Keith Haring since I already mentioned him above already. I really love his style, almost “pictogram-esque” and his pattern inclination. His characters are really meaningful yet very expressive. Also I love that he was implicated politically with his art as well to some extent. Besides him I can say that some other artists I really enjoy are Andy Warhol, Yayoi Kusama and Marina Abramovic.

If you could do something else, other than creating art, what would it be?
I think photography was my other clear choice, I always love that field too and keep it as my hobby. It was my second choice at University.

Do you remember your first set of paints, pens, or markers?
Yes! Vividly! It was that set with all in one type, that looked like a book. It had watercolors, crayola, pens, markers, all in that “suitcase”. I fell in love instantly. They were so bad, yet so good.

Do you have a favourite artist supply, a favourite method, or favourite location, where you like to create artwork?
I think my favorite place to create art is in my bedroom at University, I made it exactly as I wanted, it has all my favorite art utensils, it is my favorite “art cave”. Another place that I really get creative and enjoy working in is in my own yard in the middle of nowhere where it is only a sunflower field and the lake. The silence and absence of human rumble is nice sometimes!