On Monday the 22nd of February 2018, I met Salgado Peters- a young painter from Virginia.
I had called him a week before requesting an interview with him after hearing from friends about his sold-out showcase in New York. This interview was part of my project with The Guardian on 'talent'. After exchanging pleasantries and courtesies we started the interview.
Question 1: what really inspired you to start painting?
According to Salgado, his life experience was fundamental in provoking his talent. He notes that 'I was victim of sexual assault while growing up and I did not know how to express my miseries'. Therefore, when he realised his talent he created paintings that encompassed political messages. Most of his pieces are political in the sense that they advocate various aspects of life. He observes that 'having been able to undergo through such pain alone, I wouldn't want other people out there to experience such life'. As a result, Salgado uses his talent to portray explain the challenges of masculinity and sexuality. He took upon himself to advocate for such social courses especially on behalf of those who don't have the talent and platform to do so. He further states that, 'sometimes I look at my life and wonder what do I have that is not a testimony?'. His life is a story that gives him motivation to produce more paintings.
Question 2: what makes your art pieces stand out?
"I paint my life. Everything you see in these pieces I went through them at some point in life" Salgado stated. The uniqueness of his childhood gives him a competitive advantage. He observes that he doesn't need to undergo through an entire creative process to produce a piece of art. Instead, he only needs to think about his life. The authenticity portrayed by the paintings, his quality and talent enables him to develop a deep connection with his clients and fans since his paintings speak what happens to other people. Thus, his pieces are unique because they express reality and through them as well people are reminded of their past which is fundamental in correcting and enforcing their future.
Question 3: what process do you use to create such complicated but deceptively simple paintings?
Salgado retorted by saying that, "it takes practice, free space and quality time to create what you are seeing on the wall". He further emphasized on his ability to manipulate colours, lines and shapes to express his feelings rather emotions. He does not need to use physical figures or characters to exhibit different sections of his life. Also, the use of abstract painting is more fun and enables him to experiment different shapes and colours to express various themes of life. He also supports the importance of abstract painting in that it creates more appeal and presents two dimensions of analysis. "Artistic and literary analysis are essential to consider while painting because my audience entails both artists and non-artists" he said.
Question 4: what can you tell a young painter who is out there looking up to you?
"It took talent, hard-work and perseverance to be where I am, and if I am not talented then I sure am a damn hardworking person who can persevere a lot" Salgado stated. To him, comfort zones diminish creativity and hard work. Therefore, to the young painters they should always operate outside their comfort zones. Moreover, they should practice the three principles; hard-work, talent and perseverance.
Assessment
I experienced time constraints. It was difficult for me to balance my time and given the kind of emotions that engulfed the setting I felt the pressure to persist utilizing my interview guide. As a result, I did not exhaust all the questions that I thought I had to ask. I majorly relied on active listening to connect some of the parameters of the questions. However, I can attest that my rapport with the respondent was good hence his overall performance. He was able to clarify points and express himself exhaustively. It was therefore undeniable that Salgado's talent was honed by his passion to express himself. He attaches talent to his miseries thus enforcing authenticity of his messages. His ability to connect with his audience further puts his talent among the most promising talented artists in this generation.
