I had the pleasure of asking the insanely talented Erik Koeppel some questions about his work. Check out the interview below!

1. Tell us a bit about yourself and how you became an artist? What inspires you to create?

I am inspired by the beauty of Nature, and also by the illustrious history of western landscape painting. 

2. Did you study art or are you self taught? What are your thoughts on art education?

I have a BFA from RISD and an MFA from the New York Academy of Art. I learned landscape painting from spending a lot of time studying nature outdoors, and also close study in the museums of the masters that came before. 

3. Nowadays, we are inundated with both amazing and mediocre imagery. Does this concern you and how do you manage to stay motivated to create in such a crowded environment?

I’m not particularly concerned about this. I’m motivated by the beauty that surrounds me, and try not to spend much time on the web.

4. Your work has a great sense of realism to it, and I’d place it somewhere between photorealism and abstract art. How important is it for your art to be realistic and should art reflect reality?

I think that art should fill the viewer with a feeling of truth. This is very different from photorealism and photographic imagery. Truth comes from human experience. The paintings have to feel true to human beings. 

5. I’ve read that you do not use photographs to create your paintings, which makes them more amazing. Do you think that working from photographs affects the way that artists create their work and how do you decide which locations will make a good painting?

I don’t use photographs because I don’t believe they make the paintings any better. I know some artists who use them to make good work. I think the photograph can trick the artist into thinking something is true when it isn’t, if they’re not careful. If a location feels inspiring and beautiful, then it can make a good painting. Most places need to be changed significantly to make a good painting out of them. I make changes to the painting so that it feels more like the experience of the place. 

6. Are landscapes in art important? What do you think that images of places say about the human condition and how do you try and explore national identity through your work?

I don’t explore national identity in my work. I think the landscape is very important indeed. We are creatures of nature. We are part of it. It reflects us, and we reflect it. The goal of landscape painting is to convey to the viewer something about their humanity. Whether it is a feeling of peace or a feeling of wild sublime terror, the landscape always describes human sentiments.

7. You participate in tutorials about your work, especially the techniques of the Hudson River School Masters. How important is technique within your art and do you think that showing the process of creating an image can take away the magic of the finished piece? 

Showing the process is for educational purposes. I don’t think the true process of painting can really be shown on video. It occurs within the artist’s mind as they look upon and react to their paintings. So much of what an experienced artist does comes from intuition that only a tiny fraction of what goes into a painting can be spoken of during live filming. If you really want to know what an artist is thinking you have to spend a long time looking at their paintings. 

8. How often do you consider the viewer when creating images? Do you create work for yourself or for others?

I am the viewer of my paintings. My hope is that there is something in common between me and everyone else. 

9. In your opinion, what make a good piece of art? What was the last image/piece of media that captivated you and what was it about it that left an impression on you?

Great art speaks deeply to the human soul. I’ve been looking at George Inness’ paintings this morning. He leaves an impression of a divine world that exists beneath the surface of visual observation. That’s something that makes a great work of art. That is an experience that I’ve had a lot. 

10. What are you currently working on at the moment and where can readers find more about you and your work?

I’m working on lots of paintings

Instagram: @erik_koeppel_art

Facebook: Erik Koeppel

Website: www.erikkoeppel.com