When Art Screams: Surrealism in the Works of Artist Stefan Visan
Bizarre combinations to create art with everyday objects
Tell us what you do and your beginnings.
Painting is my first love. I went to art classes as a child and gave up on them because of a tumultuous adolescence, after which a period of silence followed, and I turned back to painting. Painting, who waited for me with open arms and a thirst for creation, but unfortunately, I couldn't continue because I hit the reality of the prices of painting materials, and at that time, I had no support.
I didn`t give up easily, and I looked for other forms to express my vision with objects that were very easy to procure. I turned back to my childhood when my mom used to have a drawer full of candles that she used to light the oven, which was one of my main attractions in the kitchen…
I simply used to open that draw to smell the interior, there was a combination of wax, wine and condiments because among them were a few wine corks and then take couple of candles, cut them with scissor, break them, pulling up the fuse and when I had to not been seen I also light them up.
I think this attraction for candles appeared at the moment when my grandparents took me to visit a wax factory where I followed the full process of making, and I remained fascinated. From here, my series with candles, which I think is my biggest video series of mine and also the wine series. I express my creation through photography and video, but I still paint and draw from time to time.
What does your work aim to say?
My work is an expression of my own emotions. For example, if I have a bad day, for sure, fire, melting, and destruction appear in my work on that day. One of my well-known works, “Rose with zip tie,” appeared after I rescued an injured pigeon hit by a car, which was beside a garden of roses from where I took the rose that appears in the work, and arrived in my studio with the rose and the pigeon.
I tied the injured wing of the pigeon and realized it can't fly anymore. From here, the spark to create this work. My work aims to transmit emotions, and what makes me happy is to see that people worldwide resonate with them.
Where do you find inspiration for your art?
I find inspiration anywhere and in anything in my world. Some ideas surprise me sometimes, and I don't know how I ended up creating them. The relationship with my multiple concepts is very connected and close to me.
Could you give us some insight into your creative process?
I spend more than 6 hours daily in my studio, with many coffee, music, and red light in the breaks when I don’t have a shoot. Some ideas come up while I fall asleep, some if a daily event impacts me, some with many exercise. I think a lot... It's a constant exercise, and I never abandon an idea, even if sometimes I think it's impossible to achieve.
What are your future projects?
I think I need to prepare an exhibition shortly because I feel pressured by the questions of my audience, which are very frequent, and they are willing to come anywhere in the world to see my works, and this overwhelms me.
I have had exhibition offers, but I have not felt ready until now because I have thought that the priority is to define my style. After all, an exhibition involves a lot of preparation and a clear vision, and I do not want that the show to contain only wall displays and prints. I also want it to contain installations. I need a perfect place to build my first show as I imagine it.
Interview by Fabio Pariante, X • Instagram • Website