Today we’d like to introduce you to Vincent Fink.
Born April 1st, 1984 and growing up in the ever-crowding greater Houston area, Vincent now works full time out of his Winter Street Studio in the Arts District where he tirelessly adds to a multitude of expansive projects. He instills messages of esoteric knowledge into each piece he creates and his first series started with a vigorously detailed greyscale ink drawing that spawned from a lucid dream.
After The Art Institute of Houston graduation he began working as a graphic designer. Searching for a higher purpose in life, Vincent felt extremely lost. Then one January night in 2010, with a sketch pad by his bed, he dreamt his future and immediately awoke to record it. In his subconscious state, he saw the completed piece that then took 5 months to recreate in his waking life, and would establish his art career. This series became known as the Atlas Metamorphosis Project.
By the end of 2010, Vincent abandoned his last employer after finding himself verbally abused by short-sighted supervisors. He and lover from a previous job, Tina Lara, started Point506; a brand that aims to “clothe a general populous with fashionable designs that will inspire engagement in the sciences.”
From their first designs, The Five Platonic Solids, Vincent began another fine art series called Iterations, expressing his love for Sacred Geometry and Surrealism. It reveals the interconnectivity of matter and how, through intention, we can tap into the quantum field to change our reality. It was this kind of thinking that brought Vincent out of a spiraling depression. He pushed himself to learn how to hand screen-print his drawings onto garments, how to sell art and how to run a business.
He eventually worked his way out of unemployment, living in a leaky warehouse studio in the east end for four years, to where he is today: on his way up with a studio now at the epicenter of Houston arts, living in a house with wife; Tina, kid, and three cats, managing his own team of dedicated, hard workers, and building his business in every way imaginable. Fellowships and mentors in the Sawyer Yards art complex have led to many career and character building developments such Vincent being on live local news demonstrating his craft for Fresh Art’s Winter Holiday Artist Market, collaborating with and recommended by Chris Silkwood to serve on Mayor Turner’s Quality of Life Transition Committee, working with other resident artists like Syd Moen, Monica Melgar, and even starting what has become the largest collaborative mural “Art Wall” in Houston, in the backyard of his Winter St. Studio.
With each step of the way, Vincent continues to grow much like the larva in his mind.
Please tell us about your art.
I intend to share my thoughts, dreams and nightmares in order to help elevate the human condition and understanding of one’s self. My primary medium is subconsciousness on consciousness. The Atlas Metamorphosis is my manifesto and Iterations are my pattern of refining an ever-expanding interpretation of the world.
I saw my first masterpiece in a lucid dream. To recreate it in this waking life, I filled in the gaps of my memory by developing an imaginary world. Here, each stage of an extraordinarily large Atlas beetle deity’s metamorphosis is accompanied by a different cultural empire. It serves as a cultural critique of historic religious cycles and political hierarchy. I further refine my inking and multi-point perspective drawing skills with sharp line-work juxtaposed by my own unorthodox form of smudging sumi-e ink on Eucaboard panels. Effectively creating something both original and classic.
When I need a release from the greyscale world of Atlas, I enter the infinite variations of colorful Iterations. This series focuses on the idea that Sacred Geometry is interconnected with all matter and thought in the universe. I often depict my deconstruction of reality and story-telling via spacial anomalies to create a place for the viewer to explore their own narratives and emotions as they project them onto my stage. The polyhedra sometimes serve as props representing harmony and balance of nature due to their theoretically perfect structure.
I am multidimensional as I expand from 2D into three and four dimensional installations that mimic a surreal slice of our world using a vast array of sculptural and temporal mediums. Other studies include animation and music.
No matter what branch of my artistic studies, I consider myself a Surrealist. It is always my intent to connect with the viewer on dreams and the subconscious mind. Be it lucid, or in waking life.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing artists today?
Time management:
It’s impossible to do everything you want to do, so you really have to focus as much time as possible on what’s most important to you. There are tons of ways to get lost. Promoting your art is one of them. It’s really hard to balance time spent marketing and actually creating. You can waste a lot of time and energy. I haven’t had time to properly promote some of my best achievements on the web cause I’m too busy moving onto the next great thing. I’m working on my lists and eventually it will all get out there and it will be beautimous…
I’m getting better about delegating out tasks that are not the best use of my time. I’m the artist and my time is best spent creating art, but I’m also the manager and marketer for most of my art and clothing line. I’m building a team of those who believe in me and my vision but I still need to wear many hats, so it’s a juggling act, for sure.
That also means not pursuing opportunities that don’t resonate with one’s vision. There’s a lot of people who can do a lot of great work out there. Let them. I want to do the work that no one else can do. I spent many years finding what makes my work unique. Breaking my back doing commissioned murals of someone’s logo isn’t it. If a client wants to pay me to create a logo that I can vibe with, or do some sacred geometrics and cultural scenes with atlas beetles on their wall, well, now we’re talkin’!
Finding your voice:
This took the longest time for me and it would probably take many others as well if they did it, but it’s worth the trials. I know that I could have chosen something easier, but things that are easy usually aren’t worth doing. It’s the challenges in life that make for great reward. It’s increasingly harder to find something original as time goes on. Too many people follow a trend. Find something that is unique about your art and then stick to it for at least 3-5 years. You will learn something that you can’t put a price on. I’m 8 years into Atlas Metamorphosis, 7 years into Iterations and I’m finally about to reach my end-goals with them but I may never put them down. I have gained so much from sticking with them, I can’t even write it all here.
Attitude:
Above all, maintaining a positive attitude is very hard while you are pouring your heart and soul into your work and hoping the world will recognize the pain and sacrifices you make. Ultimately you have to do if for yourself and enjoy the ride, not the destination. Be grateful. If you need a list of things to be grateful for, email me.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
Please come to Bisong Gallery, September 8th, 2018, for my solo show “Archetype: Unknown”
You can visit Studio B8 at Winter Street Studios by appointment or at one of our events.
Go to www.vincentfink.com and subscribe to the e-newsletter, see events, new works, & online shop
Go to www.point506.com and subscribe to the e-newsletter, see events, releases, & online shop
Disegno Studio represents my work
Space Montrose stocks our clothing line, Point506
Contact Info:
- Address: 2101 Winter St. Houston, TX 77007
Studio B8 - Website: www.vincentfink.com, www.point506.com
- Phone: 713-594-1350
- Email: info@vincentfink.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/vincentfink
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/vincentfinkart
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/vincentfinkart
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/vincentfink
Image Credit:
Vincent Fink
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