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

Alright, Karl thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us about a time that your work has been misunderstood? Why do you think it happened and did any interesting insights emerge from the experience?

My current body of work has been misunderstood by some. I have had people ask me to do live paintings, but want me to paint a different subject matter. I have submitted mural proposals and been told no, because it is too millitary. A lot of people just see the fighter pilot and assume it is a glorification of war. Even when people take the time to read my artist’s statement and learn where this work is coming from they don’t want to take the “risk” that others might misinterpret it. So there has been some push back on this body of work. Most people want their art to be pretty pictures that make them feel good without thought. I like that as well, but I also like the work that challenges you. Without emotional content art can feel empty, like it is just playing one note. The human experience is so much more complex than that. My body of work deals with, the loss of connection with my father, whom was KIA while flying for the Navy. My work also examines fatherhood from my POV as I struggle to have a family. These concepts are represented by the pilots floating in the ether with certain elements glowing while other elements have yet to come online. These are complex feelings to express and I try to do it in the most beautiful way I can. I understand people not getting it, so I take it as a challenge to be over come and continue to push myself and my work to be able to tell my story in a more clear way.

Karl, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am an artist that has developed a lot of skills over the years. I came out of high school wanting to be a fine artist but thinking that was an impossibility I pursued traditional animation, because it was the only commercial art job I was aware of at that time. I went to a Fine Art school in Seattle WA, for a couple years before transferring down to a more Design focused Art School in Sarasota FL. That is where I finished my BFA/Illustration degree. As I was coming out of school I could see the shift away from the traditional mediums I had been studying, to computers. My love for Video Games made me realize that I needed more training so I started looking into grad schools. In the meantime I took a job as a Graphic Designer to pay the bills. My skills from my passion for Hip Hop Culture helped me with type and logo work, while I learned basic computer graphics on the job. I then moved to NYC and got my MFA/Computer Animation. While there I worked in TV animation and then got into advertising which conceptually clicked with me, because its like corporate graffiti. From there I moved to LA where I got a job with an agency that specializes in video game advertising, which is the best of all my worlds. I still work for them remotely in Charleston, SC, while I create my personal work for gallery shows and large scale murals. My skill base and experience allows me to bring to the table a unique POV for the clients I am fortunate enough to work with. For example I really like to maximize the wall space for murals. Which means using clean design to draw the eye in and deliver an impactful narrative. I also like to work with new and unique ways to promote the murals to maximize the impressions. It’s like a video game to me, which is always fun.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One of the first lessons I had to unlearn as a creative was to not take every job offered. Basically, it is ok to say no. When you are hungry this seems like the wrong approach, but you end up taking jobs that you are not into and the lack of connection shows in the quality of work. Then a pattern emerges. People see and hear that you worked on a certain type of job and they start to seek you out for it. Pretty soon that is all the work you are getting. Your portfolio is full of stuff you can do, but don’t want to do. Showing what you want to do is key. I had to learn to create a portfolio based on my heart not on the market, so I would start connecting with like minded people. This allows you to position yourself into a place of love and it shows in your work, your demeanor, and your health. It is a tough lesson to learn, and I still struggle with it to this day, but the rewards are worth it.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

The goal to my creative journey is to get to the point where I can support myself and my family without the creative brief from a client. This means that clients come to me because they trust my artistic skills and allow me total creative freedom. I think it’s all artists dreams to be able to do what they want creatively and be able to support themselves. There are plenty of walls in every city where we can enjoy beautiful art. Businesses are starting to learn that they don’t need their logo huge on the wall for people to remember them by. They are learning that creating an environment or an emotional experience leaves a positive long lasting impression that people enjoy. These good feelings get associated with the businesses and the communities that Art is around. When artist’s are trusted with that, good things happen. My mission is to continue to uplift, my family, and the community, through positive creativity ways.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.karlzurfluh.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karlzurfluh/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kzurfluh/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karl-zurfl%C3%BCh-5550a717/

Image Credits
Steve Aycock Photography