High Artist Spotlight: Joe Ski
Joseph Szczygielski, or commonly known as Joe Ski for short, is a multimedia artist based out of Western New York. After earning a degree focusing on Digital Media he now works as a Pre-Press Technician at Niagara Label, editing and creating custom artwork for wineries and breweries.
We recently asked Joe some questions about his inspirations:
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Where do you find your creative inspiration?
I find my creative inspiration from hiking, biking and a little help from the sweet leaf.
Why do you do what you do?
I find creating art very therapeutic. After a stressful day, sitting down at my desk and working on a project or simply doodling mindlessly is a great way to relieve the pressure of life. I mean, don't get me wrong I love the feeling of walking away from a piece happily knowing it's done and to my liking.. but a lot of the time I'm doing it to distract myself from other things. I feel like I'm in therapy right now, actually ha.
I find creating art very therapeutic. After a stressful day, sitting down at my desk and working on a project or simply doodling mindlessly is a great way to relieve the pressure of life. I mean, don't get me wrong I love the feeling of walking away from a piece happily knowing it's done and to my liking.. but a lot of the time I'm doing it to distract myself from other things. I feel like I'm in therapy right now, actually ha.
What art/artist do you most identify with?
I find myself drawn to psychedelic, low-brow, surrealist art. I love dirty ol' comic books. Robt. Williams, Zap comix and that kind of hide-it-from-your-parents kind of stuff.
What themes do you pursue the most?
My artwork tends to have a weirdly joyful feeling with a touch of creepy.
What role does an artist have in society?
An artists' role in society is to make the mundane parts of life extraordinary. A dirty old brick wall you walk by everyday to work could become a brightly colored mural that brightens your day a little more. Guarantee you have chosen a bottle of wine over another simply for the artwork on the bottle. Art influences you in many ways every day so I can't even imagine a world without a creative spark.
What is your artistic outlook on life?
Always be open to learning. You never know what kind of hidden talent or passion you're keeping yourself from if don't give yourself the opportunity to learn more.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
New York will legalize one day.. yeah.. yeah I know, what a time to be alive tell me about it!
Do you listen to music while you are creating? If yes, tell us your favorite song and artist.
Music is almost always playing when I'm creating. I love the weird stuff. Ween. The Flaming Lips. Primus. Pink Floyd. I'm also a big fan of the blues and 50's era music. My Dad was a major influence on my musical taste growing, thumbing through his old records to play during parties and going to shows together were more influential than I realized at the time and I'm grateful for that.
What's the best thing about being an artist?
The best thing about being an artist is that there really is no wrong way to do it.. you just are.
What is your dream project?
My dream project would be to whip up a poster for one of my favorite heady hitter bands like Ween or Primus.