Interview // Jeff Bertrand
visual artist
We were fortunate enough to sit down with our friend, artist and show curator, Jeff Bertrand recently to talk about being an artist in Nashville and what it means to follow your dreams and still pay the bills. We visited his studio, where he is preparing for upcoming shows, which include the abrasiveMedia Open House on May 1 at Houston Station (438 Houston St., Nashville) where he will be live painting, May 3 at the Metal art show at Blackbird Tattoo and Gallery (2506 Franklin Pike, Nashville), and the Séraphine Music and Arts Jubilee at The East Room (2412 Gallatin Ave., Nashville) on May 23.
We asked him to take us to a good local spot for lunch and we ended up chatting over sandwiches at Mitchell's Deli's fantastic new location right down the road from the old one at 1306 McGavock.
We asked him to take us to a good local spot for lunch and we ended up chatting over sandwiches at Mitchell's Deli's fantastic new location right down the road from the old one at 1306 McGavock.
LOVE LOCAL NASHVILLE: You've been around, making art in the Nashville scene for a while now, so you've seen the city grow into something totally unlike what it was a decade ago. What is your favorite thing about Nashville today? Why is this the place you've chosen to make your home and make your art?
JEFF BERTRAND: Nashville is great because of the music, obviously, but there are so many little, secret places that pop up in all the neighborhoods . It's been cool to see all the boroughs form and there are things to do and places to go in every neighborhood. I really like showing people around who maybe aren't from here or don't get to get out and explore often. I like doing the art crawls, which is always a lot of fun. I'll start Downtown, then come over to the East Side, and there are new galleries popping up.
LLN: Who are some of the local artists you're digging right now?
JB: I really like David Pound. He does these great sculptures of monsters and he has a really unique signature to his style. There's Philip Saxby, who does oil paintings. Then, there's Charles Bennett who has more of a lowbrow, outsider style.
LLN: What about music? Anyone you're really into at the moment?
JB: I really like Kiely Schlesinger. She has this dark country singer songwriter vibe with a totally original sound, which is good because its not hard to be oversaturated with bands who sound pretty much the same. Then there's Moon Taxi. We just saw them play a secret show at the new space, Oz. I saw them a few years ago when they won Music City Mayhem and it's been cool to see how their sound has changed. They were much more 'jam band' back then, and you can still hear certain elements now. They're awesome. It's great to see them live. Seeing them acoustic is incredible.
JEFF BERTRAND: Nashville is great because of the music, obviously, but there are so many little, secret places that pop up in all the neighborhoods . It's been cool to see all the boroughs form and there are things to do and places to go in every neighborhood. I really like showing people around who maybe aren't from here or don't get to get out and explore often. I like doing the art crawls, which is always a lot of fun. I'll start Downtown, then come over to the East Side, and there are new galleries popping up.
LLN: Who are some of the local artists you're digging right now?
JB: I really like David Pound. He does these great sculptures of monsters and he has a really unique signature to his style. There's Philip Saxby, who does oil paintings. Then, there's Charles Bennett who has more of a lowbrow, outsider style.
LLN: What about music? Anyone you're really into at the moment?
JB: I really like Kiely Schlesinger. She has this dark country singer songwriter vibe with a totally original sound, which is good because its not hard to be oversaturated with bands who sound pretty much the same. Then there's Moon Taxi. We just saw them play a secret show at the new space, Oz. I saw them a few years ago when they won Music City Mayhem and it's been cool to see how their sound has changed. They were much more 'jam band' back then, and you can still hear certain elements now. They're awesome. It's great to see them live. Seeing them acoustic is incredible.
LLN: We're big fans of Moon Taxi. We've seen them probably six or seven times so far. It's no surprise they're enjoying so much success.
JB: Yeah. They put on a great show. I would almost rather see them play acoustic.
LLN: You know their set at Hangout is going to all Rage songs?
JB: Yeah. A Rage Against the Machine set as People of the Sun. That's going to be really cool.
LLN: What would you say inspires your style? Is there something that you would say defines your art?
JB: I think my style is just always changing and evolving. I went from a kind of graffiti based, grunge style to portraits to assembly and multimedia. Ultimately, I'm just trying to stand apart. It's easy to see other artist's work and subconsciously borrow ideas that influence your work-- I try to avoid taking from other artists' styles. I just want to keep evolving and see where it goes. I don't have a plan. I just have a lot of ideas.
JB: Yeah. They put on a great show. I would almost rather see them play acoustic.
LLN: You know their set at Hangout is going to all Rage songs?
JB: Yeah. A Rage Against the Machine set as People of the Sun. That's going to be really cool.
LLN: What would you say inspires your style? Is there something that you would say defines your art?
JB: I think my style is just always changing and evolving. I went from a kind of graffiti based, grunge style to portraits to assembly and multimedia. Ultimately, I'm just trying to stand apart. It's easy to see other artist's work and subconsciously borrow ideas that influence your work-- I try to avoid taking from other artists' styles. I just want to keep evolving and see where it goes. I don't have a plan. I just have a lot of ideas.
LLN: What would you say to a kid who has dreams of being an artist?
JB: If you want to be an artist, you should go school with a plan. Don't be an art major. Be an art minor. Be a business major, because they don't teach you how to make art a business. Focus on your craft, paint, draw every single day. If you never practice, you aren't going to be good. Every great artist puts the hours in. Do the work. It's possible to make it as a self taught artist, but your luck improves based on how hard you work. Be proactive. There are so many people who want it, so they're not just going to give it to you. People's ideas of success are different. To one person, it could be to show in prestigious galleries in New York City and to another person, it could be selling one painting and having someone believe in it. Your idea of success doesn't have to look like anyone else's. When I realized I didn't want to do tattoos, I decided I wanted to do hair for a living. I found something I was passionate about. You have time find something you like and make that your day job. That way, you're living and doing things that you love on your own time. Sometimes, it's better to be a big fish in a little pond than a little fish in a big pond. There is nothing wrong with a little pond. Success is finding that happy medium where you can still work and enjoy yourself. Time is the most precious thing there is. Enjoy it. 4/24/14
JB: If you want to be an artist, you should go school with a plan. Don't be an art major. Be an art minor. Be a business major, because they don't teach you how to make art a business. Focus on your craft, paint, draw every single day. If you never practice, you aren't going to be good. Every great artist puts the hours in. Do the work. It's possible to make it as a self taught artist, but your luck improves based on how hard you work. Be proactive. There are so many people who want it, so they're not just going to give it to you. People's ideas of success are different. To one person, it could be to show in prestigious galleries in New York City and to another person, it could be selling one painting and having someone believe in it. Your idea of success doesn't have to look like anyone else's. When I realized I didn't want to do tattoos, I decided I wanted to do hair for a living. I found something I was passionate about. You have time find something you like and make that your day job. That way, you're living and doing things that you love on your own time. Sometimes, it's better to be a big fish in a little pond than a little fish in a big pond. There is nothing wrong with a little pond. Success is finding that happy medium where you can still work and enjoy yourself. Time is the most precious thing there is. Enjoy it. 4/24/14
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jeff bertrand live painting
abrasive Media Open House 2014 video by Little Josh Productions |