In conversation with Gary Edward Blum

In this episode of Fakewhale Live, host Jesse Draxler and Gary Edward Blum

explore Gary’s artistic journey — an artist who transitioned from a nine-to-five job to a career in painting, graphic design and photography.

As an artist, he talks about his journey, starting out as a child and eventually graduating from Chico State with a degree in graphic design: he discusses how he uses composition in his work, and how he is meticulous about the style of his paintings.

He also elaborates on his work with found imagery and how his approach has evolved over time, getting more interested in the minuscule details in the background of his paintings.

Blum also talks about his transition from portraying realistic scenes to abstract pieces, and how Duality – the conflict between opposing elements – is a central theme in his work. From iPhone photography to high-end DSLRs, he also discusses the elements that contribute to his photographic style.

A part of his work emphasizes play, and he notes some pieces are physical but aren’t sold as physical objects.

Additionally, he discusses the printing process and how he uses various printing methods to produce different artworks, and concludes the discussion by sharing his coffee cup photography project, which he started as a way to give back to the community that had helped him, and eventually used to support underrepresented artists.