Q & A | 2014 Living Walls Artist Mac Stewart

It’s rare to find a young artist as prolific and accomplished as Mac Stewart. The Atlanta artist has already amassed a considerable portfolio and gained wide attention through several exhibitions, including being a showcased artist at 2013’s Living Walls conference. But at only 19, and with a mere three years of experience on his resume, he’s just getting started.

Stewart first picked up a brush in 2011 while on a family trip to visit his father in California. What began as a project to brighten up a temporary apartment with some homegrown paintings turned into an obsession. After returning to Atlanta, Stewart created a more than 500 paintings during his first year, switching from a traditional high school to a home school format in order to allocate more time to learning techniques and making art. Stewart has since taken on work as a commissioned artist, been featured in several local exhibitions, and will be a participant in next month’s Living Walls conference.

CommonCreativ: When did you first become interested in art?

Mac Stewart: My mom was an art history major, and she’s dragged me through museums my whole life. She made a point to make sure we saw art—my brother, sister and I always had sketch books. We use to sit around and fill them up with super heroes and other things we created. She also taught art classes when we were little, and of course we attended.

When I was five, she took me to a Diego Rivera exhibit. I was so entranced with his work that I touched one of the paintings, freaking out a security guard in the process. Art has just always been something I’ve liked.

CC: Your art uses a lot of bold lines, geometric shapes and detailed patterns. Where do you draw inspiration from?

MS: Basquiat and Keith Haring really started it all for me. I became obsessed with Haring’s lines and have watched hours of videos of him painting, trying to learn how he made his art. I have a lot of respect for Warhol–because of his work but also because of his unapologetic attitude towards making money doing what he loved. More recently, I’ve become obsessed with Picasso. I saw his “Les Demoiselles d’Avignon” at MOMA earlier this year and was blown away. I’ve spent a lot of time looking at his work since then.

Another huge influence for me are the street artists. Because of my obsession with Basquiat and Haring, I became aware of Banksy and Shepherd Fairey. From there, it’s been Retna and Cleon Peterson. I saw Retna’s work in Miami at Art Basel. His paintings are so beautiful. Cleon Peterson blows me away with his subject matter, and his technique is just over the top.

I’m borderline obsessed with Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons. I’ve contacted Koons via email and social media so many times, I’m pretty sure he is going to take out a restraining order on me. I’d also like to meet Mary Boone. She knew Basquiat and Haring, and I would love nothing more than to have a few minutes to talk to her. I attempted to meet her in Miami (she was too busy) and visited her gallery on 5th Avenue in New York, so that’s another potential restraining order.

Then, of course, I’ve been a huge fan of Living Walls artists. I was 13 when Living Walls started. As soon as I started painting back in 2012, I knew I wanted to paint a wall in Atlanta. It was one of my first goals as an artist and something I’ve been working towards since day one. I’d be driving in Atlanta with my family and make them stop so I could look at walls. JR? 3TTMan? Sheryo? ROA? Does it get any better? To grow up surrounded by and looking at works by the best of the best is a blessing.

CC: Last year you showcased some of your paintings at the Living Walls conference here in Atlanta. How has that experience aided your art career over the last year?

MS: Because of showing my art at the Living Walls street festival last year, I met several people who’ve been hugely influential. Amy Pursifull spotted me and encouraged Santiago Paramo to give me a show for Pop-Up Radio at the Sound Table, which I did last October.

I also met Monica Campana, Living Walls co-founder. She’s been amazingly supportive, and it’s because of her belief in my work that I’m a Living Walls artist this year. Having someone like Monica in your corner makes all the difference in the world.

CC: When did you first make the transition from drawing on paper to painting on walls? 

MS: I’ll be making the transition from canvas to walls on August 4. All the work I’ve done up to this point has been on wood or canvas, with the largest paintings done for a corporate installation I did last year.

CC: That’s a big leap. What have you been doing to prepare for this year’s conference? 

MS: I’ve spent a lot of time over the past few months working with larger brushes as I plan my design. Mostly, I’ve been trying to not completely freak out. This opportunity is not lost on me. I want to put something on the wall that can hold its own with the world-class artists who are represented via Living Walls.

CC: You’re talented, well-connected and very young. What’s next on your horizon? 

MS: Once I wrap Living Walls, I’ll be working with Wade Walthall, the artistic director of the Gwinnett Ballet Theatre, on an original ballet he’s choreographing. I’ll be designing and painting the backdrops and working with him on some of the costume concepts. He’s an amazing dancer and creative choreographer, and I’m really looking forward to our collaboration. The show will be in early October of this year, so I’ll go straight from finishing Living Walls to starting with Gwinnett Ballet Theatre. I’m really excited.

I’ve been talking to fashion editor and creative director Ryan Wharton about several different collaborative ideas he has. He’s really talented, and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with for us to work on together. In addition, I keep busy with commissioned pieces for my private collectors and I am planning to continue with limited edition prints in 2015.

CC: It seems that everyone has a different reason to be attracted to the creative community here in Atlanta. What’s the thing about this city that really draws you in?

MS: Having a world class museum like the High Museum of Art, a premier art school like SCAD and a host of progressive galleries have definitely inspired and influenced me. Then when you add in projects like Living Walls and the BeltLine—it just takes it up to a whole new level. I feel really lucky to have grown up in a place where, just driving around, I could see world-class art on the walls. The other thing that’s great about Atlanta is how open and inclusive the community is. Everyone I’ve met has been enthusiastic and encouraging. It’s really meant a lot to me to have the artistic community in my hometown embrace my work.

You can see more of Mac Stewart’s work over at his portfolio.