Postrock, Barbecue and Head Butts: An Interview with Featured Artist Jason Tech
Jason Tech's artwork is the cover of our summer issue, 37.2: Choose Your Own Adventure. He took a few moments to answer our questions about his creative process. Here's what he said.
Q: How have you developed creatively?
A: Due to my innate curious nature, my development in the creative realm has manifested itself through my almost obsessive research of styles I want to emulate or experiment with. I find that since I had a delayed approach to the creative process, I delve into learning as much as I can about all aspects of a technique or effect I want to achieve. I was formally trained in graphic design in college, and this structure helped me understand the basics of the creative process. I am, in a way, training myself in the photography field, not only by doing, but by learning from the photographers and artists I admire most.
Q: Which artists do you look up to? Who has influenced your art?
A: I get my influence from several different types of artists, because I stand to gain something from them all. But I would say the artists I look up to most, and are also my biggest influences come from the photography of Henri Cartier- Bresson and his mastery of timing, Rob Sheridan's glitch art, and conversely, his ability to capture morose urban settings, and finally, Gregory Crewdson and his meticulously crafted surreal scenes. All different, but all equally dedicated to the technical processes of photography.
Q: What do you think the future of art will be in the next 50 years?
A: I think we are at a pretty exciting time when it comes to art, due to the technological advances we've made even in the past 50 years. In my opinion, 50 years is a huge amount of time regarding the art world. Things like 3D printing and the video gaming industry have already made it to where art and creativity are a necessity, and the impact of technology will have a definite imprint on future creative processes. Art will become even more engaging, and will seek to connect to people through experimentation of new equipment as it becomes available.
Q: Where can we find more of your work?
A: I am currently working on my website, seeing as it IS 2015. JasonTechPhotography.com will be fully functional and accessible in the next couple of weeks. Until then, I'm on Instagram @FullBleed.
Q: Do you have any super secret rituals that help your artistic process?
A: Listen to a lot of post rock, eat barbecue, and head butt my cat (he loves it).
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Born and raised in a small town in Alabama, Jason Tech had a meager and starved introduction to the arts. Although his exposure was limited, he still craved an outlet for expression. When he finished high school, he thought he might try to be a psychologist, seeing as it seemed practical, and he had no driving force pushing him towards the creative field at the time. After a couple of years and an Associates degree in Psychology, he decided to make the big move to Tuscaloosa and attend The University of Alabama. In his first year there, he met his wife who encouraged his interest and talents in both photography and graphic design. He then decided to change his major to graphic design, with a minor in advertising, and thus began his immersion into the art world. Almost ten years later, he is now 30 years old, married, and has an amazing one year old daughter. He now does freelance wedding, event, and lifestyle photography, but also focuses on more artistic subject matter in his spare time.