We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tedf a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi TEDF, thanks for joining us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

There are times I wish I had started sooner or in a different way, had I started sooner I may not have properly developed the level of self-actualization–that is the confidence I have gained through my growth in skill, however I would have been more traditionally immersed in the art scene, I would have been well connected with my pairs and those adjacent. In some instances I wish I had gone to art school and been classically trained, having easier avenues to pursue mentorship and guidance. This probably would have pushed me to start showing my work sooner than I had.

In all honesty I believe I started at the apt time, my work was not at the standard worthy of the attention of any viewer. My work needed time to develop appropriately and I am proud of my journey thus far and I am excited for what is yet to come, however, the only thing I would change is I would go back in time and be born a Rothschild.

TEDF, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

TEDF?

T-ired

E-yes

D-irty

F-lesh

I was knowingly exposed to printmaking at the age of 13 during my high school years in Jamaica. Initially, I wanted to specialize in painting and mixed media and graphic design; my teacher at the time told me how awful I was at graphic design and had urged me to pursue printmaking. My teacher was right of course but I was too hard headed to listen. I hated the tedium of the process, the thinking backwards of it all felt needlessly complicated. I did not like the look of the lino tool either, It’s snub-nosed screw on top and bulbous handle filled with small blades struck a persona more akin to that of a maraca or baby rattle than that of a tool befitting an artiste. At first glance it did not carry the seriousness associated the paintbrush, hammer and chisel or even a pencil.

Eventually I let good sense prevail and substituted graphic design with printmaking. The first relief print I had done was not made using linoleum, it was carved in a piece of shoe rubber. It was an anatomically accurate (to my skill level at the time) pair of lungs, one being gripped by a skeleton hand. My theme was anatomy and I was hellbent on expressing every angsty gore filled teenage thought I had. I didn’t realize at the time I had started my journey with printmaking but I was smitten.

Upon migrating to the United States, I didn’t have the appropriate academic structure to pursue printmaking in a controlled environment, however I always found space to work on my own. When it came time for college I never saw an art career as possible, so I never sought to pursue a formal artistic education on a collegiate level.

I am now living in the Bronx, New York. Having practiced printmaking for ten years, I have developed an unorthodox method of implementing its key tenets; carving but not printing. Enamored with the permanence felt through the weight and volume of a mounted linoleum block, I consider it the final artwork. It provides a more tangible sense of confidence
as the block communicates an assurance with every cut, scrape, or break.

I am predominantly inspired by musicians and athletes. Moments of spontaneity in the development of sonic rapture and the unpredictable nature of sport capture my attention. I employ this spontaneity in my artistic process by using creative energy to execute each piece directly, forgoing a sketch/proof of concept stage. I find the initial excitement felt at the inception of an idea wasted on any structured plan. I start with an idea and further develop themes and motifs as I go, it’s far more fun this way.

This method allows me to ignore the inherent pretentious nature in any artistic process. I want viewers to be able to engage with my work on a purely superficial level and still leave room for deeper analysis. It should be pretty and/or entertaining before it has anything to say. What’s the point of talking if you’re too repulsive for anyone to listen.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I absolutely love the tedium of my medium and the unorthodox way I express myself within its confines. There are times I have been cutting for hours; my hands ache, fingertips numb, mouth dry, eyes burn and worst of all my ass has fallen asleep, yet that overall fatigue melts away as the feeling of satisfaction washes over me upon the completion of a piece. The tedium makes the piece more beautiful. My best pieces (physically) felt the worst to work on. The physical struggle is also paired with a mental bout, but this is takes on a more puzzle oriented visage.

I love the feeling of a hard days work, from the research and conceptualization phase to their completion, each piece feels like an odyssey. Each piece feels earned.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I want to achieve the skill level of the old masters, a Rembrandt for example or an even more recent master; Kim Jung Gi. I want to create immensely detailed works with a hypnotizing amount of movement, I want to dazzle an audience with the perfect marriage of technical skill and aesthetics. I do not wish to be your favorite artist however, I think I would find true fulfillment in being your favorite artist’s favorite artist.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @tedf__

Image Credits

Piece#1
ALL THE PEOPLE EVERYWHERE, 2023
Ink on Carved Linoleum Block
19 x 24 in.
TEDF

Piece#2
GOOD MORNING I’D LIKE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO SEE DOCTOR WIESMANN, 2023
Ink on Carved Linoleum Block
19 x 24 in.
TEDF

Piece#3
KEEP ME HONEST, 2023
Ink on Carved Linoleum Block
19 x 24 in.
TEDF

Piece#4
BUBBLEGUM CHROME, 2024
Ink on Carved Linoleum Block
19 x 24 in.
TEDF

Piece#5
MIND THE FLOOD, 2023
Ink on Carved Linoleum Block
19 x 24 in.
TEDF

Piece#6
TAXI , 2023
Ink on Carved Linoleum Block
19 x 24 in.
TEDF

Piece#7
ROCOCO FOR FUCK SAKE, 2024
Ink on Carved Linoleum Block
19 x 24 in.
TEDF

Piece#8
THE JAZZ AND THE JAZZ NOTS,2024
Ink on Carved Linoleum Block
19 x 24 in.
TEDF

Images by Kevin Herrera
Instagram: @notbadkev
Email: [email protected]
Phone#: (917) 751-4857