Carter Art
I was born into a family of artists in Royal Oak, Michigan. A third generation silkscreen maker and printer, I have been creating art my entire life. One of my earliest artistic inspirations is a quote attributed to Joseph Campbell that the meaning of life is to “follow your bliss.” In 2009, I created my first painting while processing a traumatic life event. I applied silicone and acrylic material to a hollow core door, covering it with enamel. Since then, I have continuously developed my technique. Nowadays, I customizes thick enamel paint to create texture and uses acrylic paint for highlights.
While painting on doors allows me to create the large format I desire, I no longer purchase new substrates to be more sustainable in my artwork and create an upcycle. Since 2015, I have only been using recycled doors and wood that he finds in the street or has been donated by my local community.
Another source of my artistic inspiration is my regular practice as a yoga teacher in the local Ann Arbor community. For me, life is movement and, through mindful movement, yoga brings one’s awareness to one’s physical, energetic, emotional, and spiritual bodies. I'm convinced that yoga expands one’s capacity for experience. I want my art to do the same. These large format paintings invite the viewer to expand their experience through multiple textures, colors, sizes, and shapes.
Just as in yoga, movement plays a fundamental role in my artistic creations. In my studio, I build large paddles to “move paint” while the substrate may be on the floor, on a stand, or leaning against the wall. “Movement” shines through the many textured layers in each art piece, offering a variety of interpretations and emotions. To me, these layers simulate my human experience, feelings, thoughts, and beliefs.
Beyond my life’s mantra and yoga, I'm inspired by the colors of nature, urban spaces, my visions, meditation, the variety of shapes and textures he encounters in my everyday life, as well as being surrounded by people who express their own creative power and energy. When you engage with my artwork, it may as well mirror your own experiences in this world.
While painting on doors allows me to create the large format I desire, I no longer purchase new substrates to be more sustainable in my artwork and create an upcycle. Since 2015, I have only been using recycled doors and wood that he finds in the street or has been donated by my local community.
Another source of my artistic inspiration is my regular practice as a yoga teacher in the local Ann Arbor community. For me, life is movement and, through mindful movement, yoga brings one’s awareness to one’s physical, energetic, emotional, and spiritual bodies. I'm convinced that yoga expands one’s capacity for experience. I want my art to do the same. These large format paintings invite the viewer to expand their experience through multiple textures, colors, sizes, and shapes.
Just as in yoga, movement plays a fundamental role in my artistic creations. In my studio, I build large paddles to “move paint” while the substrate may be on the floor, on a stand, or leaning against the wall. “Movement” shines through the many textured layers in each art piece, offering a variety of interpretations and emotions. To me, these layers simulate my human experience, feelings, thoughts, and beliefs.
Beyond my life’s mantra and yoga, I'm inspired by the colors of nature, urban spaces, my visions, meditation, the variety of shapes and textures he encounters in my everyday life, as well as being surrounded by people who express their own creative power and energy. When you engage with my artwork, it may as well mirror your own experiences in this world.