We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lourans Mikhail a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Lourans, thanks for joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
I had just finished my service in the Marines after 13 years and was taking graphic and web design in college in 2016. While going through the program and learning about marketing and advertising, and what I had seen during my time in the MarinesI didn’t want to do something that wasn’t going to align with my morals and principles. I didn’t want to be working at a company and have to design cigarette ads or use psychology to manipulate consumers into a purchase.
Around September 2017, I was asked to be part of a little pop-up show in San Diego, and I agreed. I had just started drawing and barely painting. But figured the only way to get better was to keep doing it. Also seeing your work out in public, next to other artists gives you a different perspective on your work.
I decided I had to learn more techniques and other mediums. After graduating in 2018 with my bachelor’s in graphic design, I decided to take up fine art classes and started focusing on sculpting and ceramics. I also started applying for open calls to shows in L.A. and San Diego. After getting some early work into shows I knew i had to keep pushing.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I started making art during college after the Marines. I always loved graffiti, comics, and pop culture growing up, so with my education, I wanted to bring that perspective into what I wanted to make. I feel that I have a unique perspective with me being an immigrant, Assyrian, and a veteran.
I like to push perspective and boundaries with my art. My personal art versus my public art is slightly different, I create personal works that address issues that are in my head or what socio-political issues are affecting us. In my series “Different Strokes” I create sculptural brushes that give the viewer a perspective shift hopefully to be empathetic to another view. I start by cutting different species of wood and shaping and sanding the brush handles, then I create the new bristles to represent what story is being told, or the topic I am addressing. The title itself is a play on words with paint brushes having different strokes and the 80’s T.V. show with the same title.
I created brushes that have chains for bristles, bullets, fiber optic, and led lights to name a few.
I also paint murals and have them in Anaheim, San Diego, Memphis, and Chattanooga. With my murals, I base a lot of my decisions on the actual site. I try to use elements of the structure to my advantage. I painted a portrait mural in San Diego and used the exposed pipes to make it look like liquid colors were spilling out, and recently in Memphis, I painted a tongue brush (like my sculptural series) in which I had to span across 3 windows centered right in the middle of the wall. I had the tongue go up and down through the windows.
I also still do graphic design (depending on the client), I enjoy creating logos, and love typography. I also created my own typography titled Anamorphic Alphabet. It is both the upper and lower case letter in a single letter form using only one line that doesn’t intersect. It’s very reminiscent of M.C. Escher and his anamorphic work.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
I think seeing how art affects people in different ways. Obviously, the joy that someone gets from seeing something that they deem to be so beautiful is ultimately the most rewarding feeling you can get. whether it’s a commission or a public mural that reaction is the best. I also enjoy painting murals and having the community interact as I am painting. As artists, we spend so much time creating alone that we rarely get to see in-person reactions or experience these interactions between the viewer and our art together.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Appreciate the time and the skill it takes for us to do what we do. Some people think because we can wave a pencil and create a cohesive piece of art that it shouldn’t require a decent paycheck but it does. I also think cities and neighborhoods should be more open to allowing artists to create public art, whether its murals or sculptures. I feel there should be more opportunities for people to learn how to do public art and cities should have walls set up for the public to safely create art.
I also think graffiti should be viewed as an art form and just like we are giving more space for murals we should allow graffiti to be put up safely for the public.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.LouransMikhail.com
- Instagram: @LouransMikhail
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LouransMikhail
- Twitter: @LouransMikhail
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa6XM3F6fTub0H6Ef9ADSWA/
- Other: SoundCloud – https://soundcloud.com/Lou-campanella