Artist Interview:Robert Tirado

Venezuela born graphic and illustrator artist Robert Tirado, currently based in Madrid. Inspired by photography and the beauty of female, he creates these innovative and haunting images that you just can’t take your eyes off of. Tirado have been published all throughout America and Europe and also collaborated with bands, fashion magazine, and independent producers.

Interviewed by Ivy Mak

1. What it’s like for an artist living in Spain?

A nice experience! I feel very lucky to live here, especially in Madrid. It’s very fun and productive. This is a place where you can find a lot of influences. The birthplace of great personalities in the artistic and intellectual scene. Also it’s beautiful architecture, museums, culture and places makes it unique. Spain has a great movement related to contemporary art and illustration. Great book editors, record labels, cinema and a particular P.O.V. about fashion.

2. At what point did you realize you were an artist?

Since I was a kid, I felt attracted by art, I used to draw and paint in my spare time. When I went to design school, it changed my life and my way of seeing things.

3. How do you go about creating these paintings?

I take inspiration from everything around me. I feel a special interest in things that I represent in my artworks. They are a mixture of influences, technical experiments and the results often are surprising, even for me. I try to escape from known formulas, I don’t like them.

4. You use a lot of female in your work. Do they symbolize something important?

Definitely, female beauty is my main source of inspiration. It’s a way of paying tribute to

life itself, because in my opinion, women represent the fascination, love and the beginning of life. It also represents the desire, the subtlety, seduction and temptation.

5. Which do you perfer? Painting or Illustration?

It depends on many facts. Even my mood, but I think I do a mixture of both. However, usability is the great difference between painting and illustration.

6. What inspires you the most?

Art, history, music, design, fashion, photography, architecture and nature.