Artist Profile #293

Name: Ron Porter

Background: BFA, Middle Tennessee State University; MFA, Ohio University

What is your favorite medium to use?
I normally use oil paint on a panel or a canvas - but it's always oil paint.

What is the primary subject matter of your work? Some of your inspirations?
Surrealism. Because surrealism deals with dream states - the worlds of the hyper real and subconscious - that is where the surrealist artist must learn to look for subject matter. He must learn to think beyond the conscious. When I start a painting, I have a general idea of what it is going to be about, but I have no idea what it's going to look like in the end - it's that kind of thing that drives my exploration.

Has your subject matter remained consistent through the years or has is changed somewhat?
When I was an undergrad, my teacher asked me what it was that I wanted to paint and even questioned if I could paint. That gave me the idea - the challenge - to come up with something totally unique that no one was doing and that I could make my own so I decided to paint the backs of trucks.

How did that come about?
I had this moment where I was sitting in my car at a stoplight, waiting for the light to turn, and I looked up and saw this oil tanker in front of me. It had this big, round, shiny aluminum tank and then it dawned on me - I'll paint that! And I did, about 200 paintings and then one day in 1993, I just stopped. I guess I said what I had meant to say.

Who are your favorite artists? Have you taken anything from them?
Vermeer or Magritte. Magritte is a very prominent influence - not necessarily from a technical standpoint though. It's more stylistic - he gives people access to images because the image itself is very simple, but it's the meaning behind it that can be as complicated as you like. It's still very open to interpretation - if you are completely clear about something, it's not art.

Are there any experiences from your past that influence your art?
I was a musician, a drummer for 14 or 15 years, and I would say that that does considerably.

How so?
There are a lot of connections between the two - art and music. Art deals with the idea of time, and so does music. Drumming is all about time with the intervals and the rhythm and is very precise, and so is art. Painting is also very engaging. It's a lot like playing an instrument for me - when I'm painting, the world goes away, which is an experience a lot like that of being on stage. When you're on stage, you're deeply involved in your part of the process - you're connected but at the same time very much detached and in your own state of mind. There are a lot of interesting parallels between the two.

Are you working on anything now?
Well, I'm actually working on getting a portfolio together to present to some national and international galleries and maybe get an exhibit going sometime in the near future.

What is a good piece of advice that you have to give to the readers of Versus?
Every person has a good sense of drive - for some people it's the stability that a home and job offer, but to others it's an idea. That's what artists primarily try to do is to seek that truth, search for that idea - and they do it through their creations. You can't lose that drive.

If you're interested in finding out more about Ron Porter, you can check out some of his works at the Cumberland Gallery here in town or you can take one of his drawing or painting classes right here at Vanderbilt!