A Chat With Maestro Miami-based Artist Derek Wilson

We recently sat down with Miami-based artist Derek Wilson, we learned a lot about this creative Miami native and wanted to share the goods. He’s somewhat of an alchemist, spontaneously mixing materials and subtly changing formulas as well as styles to suit the concept he wants to address. Wilson is always looking for a new means of expression, with an unquenchable thirst for the experiment – it’s the process that drives him.

Q – How long have you been an artist and how did you get started on this path?

A – I’ve always been an artist (it seems). I can recall taking pride in being the kid in fourth, fifth and sixth grade that everyone turned to if they needed something drawn. It quickly became part of my identity and still is to this day. 

Q – Where do you draw your inspiration from?

A – Of late, I would say I am immersed in storytelling; stories about my childhood and my late-mother, Harriet Kathryn Michael. The inspiration ranges from visual investigations into my mother’s tragic passing, The Harriet’s Secret Collection, to the incredible stories about a number – as with the Tales of Twenty-two Series, and the fond memories I have of watching cartoons as a kid, seen in the Hot Wheels and Speed Racer works. Each series or collection is inspired further by distinctly separate sets of processes and genres. I make a conscious effort to align the content of the work with the means that will best help tell the story. For example, in the Tales of Twenty-two series I create subtle patterns of the number ’22’ using street-art-inspired wheat-paste techniques as well as stenciling in an effort to suggest how the number routinely surfaces on an almost weekly basis.

Q – In your opinion, what makes a particular artwork special or appealing to someone?

A – If there is a hierarchy of art, I would say, at the top would be installation work and/or art that is interactive. In my opinion, providing the viewer the opportunity to interact with a particular piece pushes the work beyond the typical and into a realm where true authentic experience can be had.

Q – A lot of fans don’t know this about you, but you’re a highly respected art educator in the Miami-Dade Public Schools, can you tell us more about this side of your artistic career?

A – I was a senior in High School sitting in my AP Art class, when I realized after assisting some fellow students, that I could do this; teach Art. I made the decision, right then and there. I continued to pursue this idea as a major in Junior College (Miami Dade) and then FIU, where I earned my BFA in Sculpture, with a minor in Education. Six months after graduating I landed a full-time art teaching position and I’ve been teaching Art ever-since. I currently work at John A. Ferguson Senior, where I teach variety of courses; IB Art, Portfolio as well as AP Art, to name a few. Twenty years later, I’m still “Hey Mr. Wilsssoonnnnnn!!!” – I’m still trying to have fun and I still get a rush when I witness the birth of creativity among one of my students. 

Q – What are you working on at the moment?

A – At the moment I am having fun creating paintings and prints of Speed Racer; one of my favorite cartoons growing up. It was meant to be just one piece in the Hot Wheels Series, but Speed has taken on a life of his own and so I continue to speed along with him!! Go Speed Racer Go!

Q – Which artist do you admire, one who has influenced you the most?

A – There is a long list of artists dating back to my FIU days that have inspired me. But if I was to choose one, who has influenced me the most of late, it would be Shepard Fairey. Interestingly enough I’ve been teaching Shepard Fairey for about seven years or so. Over time I have developed a real appreciation for his work and have found myself utilizing many of his techniques.

Q – Can you explain to our readers what your ‘Lucky 22’ collection embodies and what this superstitious and inspiring number means to you?

A – To start, I need to first explain that the number was a topic of conversation for years and years, between my mother and I. I’d come home and tell her; hey it happened again, and then I would proceed to tell the story. Twenty (some-odd) years later it continues to happen. Needless to say I see it as a very positive sign/omen; it always means I’m in the right place. Some background and context: My brother and I were both born on the 22nd, we are 22 months apart and my mother was 22 when she gave birth to me. I can tell you stories about seats on a plane, a broken theater seat in New York and random glow in the dark 22 spray painted in the middle of the street, seen easily from a hotel room. I could tell you that the church I was married in is the 22nd historical sight of Coral Gables (that wasn’t planned) and it goes on and on!!! Recent story: Three weeks ago, I received a call to hang Speed Racer paintings in the Vintro Hotel – on the date of delivery I wasn’t even surprised and took it in stride when I noticed the address had a 22 in it; Vintro Hotel is off of 22nd Street in South Beach. (Great sign as always, but no big deal..this happens all the time). When I returned to the Vintro Hotel a week later to look at the work on display, sure enough another ‘twenty-two’ was there to greet me. In the very first room we visited, placed perfectly on the TV table was the novel “Catch 22”, out in plain view. Still don’t know what it all means, but that’s part of the fun, the mystery, the tale.

Q – At what point in your creative process do you begin to feel like the artwork you are working on is almost complete?

A – Great question, I am still not sure! I often joke, that I have to start raising my prices, because there are at least three paintings buried in every piece I create.

Q – Do you have any tips for readers or advice for other artists trying to enter the fine art world?

A – You hear this often, but stay true to who you are. I tell this to my students all the time. You are the expert on you, no one will argue that. If there’s a personal story you can tell, then tell it. As opposed to just creating work that is derivative of someone else’s style and/or concept. In the long run, I believe creating art rooted in personal thought and experience will help to validate your work, whether you’re a student or a professional. Everyone loves a good story; it’s universal. I find that at the end of the day, the client isn’t just buying my painting; they’re buying me and my story. Gotta be able to sell yourself as well.