The Art of Ivan Tirado

I recently had an opportunity chat with Ivan Tirado, sculptor, painter, teacher and all-around really nice guy. I’ve enjoyed keeping up with Ivan’s work over the last few months, and I love that he will often share the stages of his work from start to finish via his social networking sites.  His primary focus is painting and sculpting the human form.

Life Incomplete

You studied Humanities, and then received a master’s in instructional design – what led you to sculpture? Were you always drawn to artistic expression or was it something that evolved over time and education?

My BA in Humanities is in Fine Arts. I did not fall in love with sculpting until my last year of college but it was “love at first try”. After college, life got in the way and I went to work on graphic design and other computer based jobs; teaching Instructional Design helps me put those together. I am working on my PhD dissertation at the moment in Instructional Design for Online Learning while developing a career in the arts. Sculpting is a passion that will follow me no matter what, so I better bring it with me.

You focus primarily on the human form, specifically the female – do you find the feminine form more versatile in your medium than the male?

What we see and feel in this world is through ourselves, the humans. The body is both a well designed machine, a casket and filter of energy and emotions. We can express a lot through the human form and feel connected with it. I believe that the female form is beautiful, as is the male form. The male form can be represented with sensitivity or it can be represented with strength. However, the female form can be both at the same time. That is why I focus on the female more.

How long does a typical sculpture take from initial inspiration to completion?

Dancer

In average, a sculpture can take me 2-3 weeks. Only a few went beyond. I can finish a piece in a day. Just recently I finished 3 in one day. Sometimes inspiration is there for an extended period of time waiting to be discovered; sometimes it comes as you attempt a sculpture. It is very unpredictable and many are the variables that influence the time factor.

Do you ever have periods of stagnation – where you have planted creative seeds but they have yet to fully come to fruition?

A lot of times. Generally it happens after a long period of creative “fire”. Creativity needs some rest too, I guess. I use that time to feed my mind with new imagery. I study and research other techniques and artists, go back to the past and look at the masters, or simply wait for the muses to visit me again.

I have plenty of drafted ideas in sketches and notes, maybe images, that one day came to mind but never became a sculpture or painting. Maybe one day someone will get my sketches together and make a book out of them with everything that never went beyond the idea.

What pieces will be on display at upcoming events?

In the upcoming events I am putting together a combination of old and new. I am showing some of the pieces from The Concrete Collection: Life Incomplete, Idleness, and Dancer, as some of the previous work as Wind. I am also showing some new paintings and in October I am showing a few abstract pieces that are still in progress.

Idleness

If someone would like to commission a piece – do you work with your client to create their ideal within certain artistic boundaries? Or do they give you a basic idea and let you run with it?

Wind

Generally, they bring the idea and we work together within my technique and style to make sure the product suits the emotional need of the client. I want them to see themselves in the piece, communicate with it, and show it off as part of their own, as active participants of the creative process.

How would someone contact you to commission a piece?

Anyone can contact me through the website http://ivantirado.com, my Facebook page The Art of Ivan Tirado, and my email artwork@ivantirado.com.

If you would like to see Ivan’s work up close and in person, you can check out his upcoming events in Connecticut through the month of November.

Showing at Sobobo Gallery
Milford, CT
Ongoing July-August-September

Festival!Stratford
Stratford, CT
August 1-4

Figure Study Workshop
Sobobo Gallery
Milford, CT
August 21st

DIVERSIDAD
Art Exhibit
New Haven, CT
September 21st-October 14th

 Art Exhibit at the Orange Library

Orange, CT
All through October

Artist of the Month
Sobobo Gallery
Milford, CT
All through November

Camicia Bennett: Founder of The Well Written Woman, Florida Native and cerebral creature, she loves her  husband, yoga, red wine, potty humor, swearing superfluously and putting hats on her dog. If given her druthers  she’d be surfing the web and writing randomness from someplace sunny and tropical whilst sipping her favorite  vino. Oh wait, that’s exactly what she does.You can find her tweetingincessantly or randomly sharing her own  brand of slightly pretentious propaganda at her personal blog.