Jiri Mayer’s art practice integrates low resolution digital sensibilities that embrace pixel geometry into contemporary painting. It’s made human with his exacting precision of brush stroke, in acrylic or oils, capturing nostalgia in the naive approach to his forms and the joy of child-like animal themes. Thanks to our artist, pop folk sculptor Austyn Taylor, for the introduction so we can bring Jiri’s delight to you!
Describe the moment you realized art fed your soul.
I've had the need to create since I was little. In my teens I had a band with friends — but for me it was never really about music, more about the act of making itself. I can point to two milestones. The first was an exhibition by Václav Stratil in Brno — he's my favorite artist. The second was a few days before payday, when I was down to my last few euros. I had no food and no paper left to draw on. I bought corn crackers and spent what was left on paper. That's when I really understood what art means to me.
What themes do you pursue in your art?
I work with themes from naive children's painting. Animals are one of the first things kids ever draw — so they've become my central motif.
What influences the direction for your craft?
I just do my own thing. I lock myself in the studio and work. Where, why, or with whom doesn't really matter to me — I do what I love and I love doing it.
How has your work developed over time?
My current series, Windows Paint, started when I wanted to paint a mouse without a mouse — the animal, sketched in MS Paint without an actual computer mouse, just the touchpad.
I fell in love with the aesthetics of this old-school program — its mistakes and glitches, a lot like a child's drawing. Since then, all my paintings start as a sketch in MS Paint, which I then translate onto canvas in a more conventional way — acrylic or oil. Over time I realized that when you zoom in, it draws straight in pixels. That's how the pixel paintings were born — but it's not pixel art, I'm more interested in a blurred line. The newest series came about after I discovered Windows Paint 3D.
What's the most indispensable item in your studio?
My coffee mug.
Do you collect anything?
I like to swap works with my favorite artists and friends, so I have a few pieces — but I wouldn't really call myself a collector. What I do collect are surfboards — that's my other passion.
What's the most inspiring thing you've seen, read, watched or listened to recently?
It's not really something I saw in terms of art — it's my eight-month-old son, Vincent. Watching him discover the world is the most inspiring thing for me right now.
What advice would you give to your younger self about your artistic journey?
I wouldn't really change much. Do what you love and don't let anyone talk you out of it — that's still how I roll.
Bonus: What role does music play for you while you work?
Almost none. I don't really listen to music while I work — it's not important to me. Music can be anything. There's never really silence, as John Cage said.
Find the new Shadow Paintings Series online and at Poet and the Bench gallery in Downtown Mill Valley.