We were lucky to catch up with Jeremy Wolf recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jeremy, appreciate you joining us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

I’m a painter and that to me is what I really am. At the same time, though, I’m also a buyer in a big retail corporation and in all honesty that’s how I pay my bills these days. While I’ve had good opportunities to show work over the last few years, sales have been hard to come by, so there had to be something else. For me, I guess I wish that I had truly committed to the idea of a career in the arts way earlier than I did. I don’t even have a fine arts degree or anything like that. I was probably 25 years old when it finally dawned on me that painting and drawing and image-making was more than just a hobby and that was the path I really wanted to go down in my life. I don’t know that studying art versus economics would’ve made a huge difference in my skillset or in developing my talent (although maybe it would have), but I do know it would’ve opened up a much larger network for me to draw upon to further my career as a painter. Not having that network at my fingertips – being essentially an outsider in the art world – leaves me out in the cold when it comes to many opportunities for growth and exposure. On the other hand, it’s also left me very free to pursue what I want to pursue in my artistic practice without having to hew to trends in the market. I’m always true to my own vision and I don’t have to answer to anyone when I want to make something or not make something. So there are pros and cons. In the end, I think I do wish that I’d gone to art school in some form if only for the fact that it would’ve meant more time dedicated to doing something that I love without any real distraction. You don’t really understand how squeezed for time you’ll be as an adult when you’re in college trying to figure things out for yourself. These days I find myself constantly trying to balance the demands of being an employee, a husband, and a homeowner with my desire to continue to grow as a painter and find a wider audience. It’s hard, but if you really want it you keep at it and carve that space out in your life.

Jeremy, 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’m Jeremy Wolf and I’m a painter originally from New York, but now living and working in London, UK. I’ve always had an avid interest in drawing, but I’m basically untrained as a fine artist. I started painting seriously around 12 years ago, but I also hold a job in corporate retail as a buyer and have done basically that entire time. My lack of formal instruction in art-making probably leaves my style a little rough around the edges, but I’m also free to explore whatever subject matter, media or style that I feel like without reservation.

My work is often informed by the visual information I absorbed as a kid from video games, cartoons, movies, anime, mythology, religion, the places I’ve been to and that I am from, as well as snippets of my own memory. All of these and more interweave and define the aesthetic and direction of my work. I think some of the idiosyncrasies and self-referential bits of my work can make it challenging for viewers sometimes, but also intriguing and unique.

My guiding principles in associating with the art world (whatever that means) have always a) been show as much as possible and b) show up. As someone without a robust network in the scene I need to be places to get recognized – whether that means showing up to openings and socializing, or applying to open calls for exhibitions, I am always checking to see what opportunities I can get myself involved in. The game is tough, but persistence is key. I think the other thing to remember is that if you do have a connection to someone who can help you, don’t be afraid to pull that string. I have a really hard time with that one, but it’s important to remember that the people who are successful in creative fields are willing to ask for help when they need it.

Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

Maybe I’m getting old, but I don’t really understand it. And when people are making that much money that fast it always reeks of a scam in my mind…

But I’m also a bit of a luddite when it comes to technology (just ask my wife). I had an iphone 5 for 10 years and I still read books in hardcover and refuse to get a kindle.

At the end of the day, though, I don’t think the NFT space represents anything about what’s good in art today. It’s very trend-based and so when I hear people talking about how its pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in art I just don’t see that as being the case.

I can’t say there are no NFTs of my work because I’m pretty sure one of the recent exhibitions I was involved in minted an NFT of each of the works in the show. But I’ve never minted one myself and have no plans to. I like to work with paint and a canvas and I don’t see that changing any time soon.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I don’t know if this will come off sounding shitty, but I like the fact that when I go into the studio I am the king in the castle. No one can tell me what to do or how to do it and anything I dream up I can make a reality by my own hand. At the same time, I have to work around the limitations of space, resources, and not having extra hands to help which can limit the size of work I try to execute. But all of those factors tend to make me think of solutions rather than being obstacles to getting where I want to with a piece. I love the problem solving aspect of making an image – figuring out how to best take the image in my head and translate it into the real world with the tools I have at my disposal.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jeremydwolf.com
• Instagram: @ewwwjerms
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-wolf-9194983a/

Image Credits
All paintings by Jeremy Wolf. Titles, date, size information in file names