Cole Sternberg
Cole Sternberg
Cole Sternberg is a Los Angeles-based visual artist who believes in using art as a medium to initiate change and to bring light to the social issues of this world. Self-described as “continually growing; learning new ways to communicate effectively,” he produces works in a myriad of mediums, including painting, photography, sculpture, writing, room installation, and film. Not afraid to get his hands dirty in his pursuit of the arts, in 2013 Sternberg reenacted artist Ray John’s death and the events leading up to it for the film, a moment in the sun. This film was accompanied by an installation inspired by Johnson and his works.
Most recently, Sternberg finished a sea voyage via shipping vessel from Japan to Portland, during which time he created works literally infused with salt by dragging them through the ocean.
Sternberg has exhibited internationally and is currently working on a documentary about his journey on the Pacific.
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Zeus Beard: How did you decide you wanted to become an artist?
Cole Sternberg: My parents said that when I was three years old, I would sit in front of paintings and just stare for minutes. Other than that, I don’t think I ever
made a conscious decision per se. It was just a natural progression from preschool until now.
ZB: How would you describe your style?
CS: Probably ‘sweatpants’? In terms of art, I don’t really believe in restricting work to a type or style. However, my work takes from Impressionism, Abstract
Expressionism, Environmental Photography, Minimalism, Action Painting, and many other “isms” and influences.
ZB: Rather than focusing on just a single format, you’ve made art in formats ranging from paintings to videos to written work. What is it that
constantly pushes you to try something different?
CS: Rauschenberg once said something to the extent of, ‘whenever I got too good at something I moved on.’ I don’t have the hubris to believe I’ve gotten
too good at anything, but I like the concept of continually growing; learning new ways to communicate effectively.
ZB: Your art typically comments on social issues. Why is that, and what are some of the social issues that carry the most weight for you personally?
CS: We are inherently social beings, but this social nature seems to have been misguided for thousands of years. Humankind and humanity should align more
appropriately. So, I cannot resist speaking to this in a subversive way in the work. Recently, I’ve been focusing on the environment as a basic human right.
ZB: You incorporate spray paint into your work. What interests you about street art?
CS: Spray paint is simply another medium to use when appropriate. I’ve used it without any correlation to a style, but as a means to an end in creating a
specific visual experience. That being said, I like that street art brings the community into the art process and brings forth a new forum for communication. We live
architecturally with a bland color palette; street art can also help to break up that monotony.
ZB: Which artists influence you?
CS: I’m interested in a massive variety of artists and other stimuli. Instead of creating a list of thousands, a couple of great influences of mine for
your readers to check out are Bas Jan Ader and Ray Johnson.
ZB: Where do you find inspiration for a new project?
CS: Inspiration comes from many places and it is difficult to pinpoint things. For example, I once did a project in the Hamptons and my only connection
to that region was my knowledge that Ray Johnson’s final piece - his suicide - took place there. That became the inspiration for the multi-disciplinary exhibition that came to
be (editor’s note: Sternberg is referring to a moment in the sun, a film accompanied by a reconstruction of Ray Johnson’s infamous Room 247 of the Inn at Baron’s Cove).
However, the final project was also heavily influenced by the 1820’s farmhouse where it took place, the environmental protections of local laws in East Hampton, and a couple
of Bob Dylan songs. The real tricky part is putting the pieces together.
ZB: We heard that you went aboard a cargo vessel for a month and created works inspired by the environment and the voyage. How did you come up with the
idea to do this?
CS: Six years ago, I became fascinated with both the flow of trade and the abyss of the Ocean. I wanted to experience these personally and to create work
that dealt with the macro environment of the sea, as well as the micro confinement of the ship. This grew into a journey on the maiden voyage of a shipping vessel from the
shipyard where it was built in Western Japan to Portland, Oregon. We experienced glorious sunrises and violent storms. It was an incredible experience. I ended up creating a
series of paintings and photographs, as well as shooting a documentary about the trip.
ZB: Tell us about your experience at sea, and how it influenced the creation of new work for “The Art of Breathing in Salt,” your recent exhibition at
the MAMA Gallery.
CS: The journey was amazing and the sea literally made those works. I painted them on the vessel on the deck and in an interior studio. They were all
left in storms and wind and dragged through the Ocean to affect their composition.
ZB: Take us through a typical day.
CS: I’m a bit too scattered for typicality in my day. I basically get up, eat, work, eat, work, eat, sleep; just like everyone else. What the “work” part
means can be anything from filming a short, to creating a painting, to riding on a ship starring at the horizon. It all depends on the day and my haphazard scheduling
system.
ZB: What are you currently working on?
CS: I’m rebuilding Room 247 from Baron’s Cove Inn, editing the documentary of my sea voyage, painting, reading, and working on a series of
prints.
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