Today we’d like to introduce you to John Antoski.
John, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I came via answering the call to work in California at Transworld Snowboarding as an Art Director. This was in 2007 and I was fresh out of art school looking for something to get me out of Calgary. Moving to California and experiencing new culture and lifestyle was very inspiring. I think I was in Carlsbad a month before I tried surfing, and from that moment I was obsessed. Surfing changed every aspect of my life for me. I would sleep in my car, or the beach, anything to get me out in the water first. I traveled the up and down the coast surfing different spots to become a better surfer. I took trips to Hawaii, Mexico, and Nicaragua with friends that all felt the same stoke for surfing. It was progression and transformation that defined all aspects of my life, and is still alive and well 11 years later! Ultimately surfing inspired a body of work entitled “I’m A Ok” and is still being created today.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
My work is inspired by surfing and surf culture. I dig the minimalism found in simple black wetsuits and white surfboards. Most of my work is black and white high contrast drawings on paper. Some of the drawings also translate into quick animations your can see on my instagram. The animations are a way of bringing the drawings to life and telling more of a story. There’s also a strong geometrical element that is present in the work. The geometrical elements activate and connect the drawings together. The shapes form new relationships within the drawing adding to perspective and help lead the viewers eye around the composition. For me its connecting the abstract with the illustrative. It’s that push and pull that activate the drawings. There’s a balance in the composition, and a structure. Most drawings are about the form, and the environment is absent to further push the minimalism. It’s my goal to focus to be on the form and emphasise on the style our bodies can create.
What would you recommend to an artist new to the city, or to art, in terms of meeting and connecting with other artists and creatives?
Keep making stuff, and if you feel uninspired change up your daily routine. Immerse yourself in new cultures, get uncomfortable, get deep. Don’t wait to get inspired, let the process guide and inspire you. If you don’t have a process, make one up and tweak it as needed. Trust the process and make work that you can lose yourself in.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
You can follow me on Instagram at @johnantoski or visit my website at johnantoski.com.
Contact Info:
- Website: johnantoski.com
- Email: Johnantoski@gmail.com
- Instagram: @johnantoski
Image Credit:
Tim Cachot (Portrait), Jason Lee (Color Photos), Randy Ronquillo (Black and white Photos)
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