I am always looking to blur the lines between life, art, hobbies, and everything in between.
Tobias Fike is the featured artist for Untitled Final Friday: Light Wait at the Denver Art Museum on June 28. Read our Q&A below to learn more, and then join us at Untitled! (You can see the program of events here.) Untitled is included with general admission, which is free for members.
What inspires you?
It might sound like a cliché or something, but everything truly inspires me. I get inspired from my kids, products at the grocery store, music and shows, my daily drive, the smell of grass, a single man sitting on a park bench with his head hung, a swarm of bugs congregating in the evening sunlight, the cosmos, other art, etc, etc, etc….
What aspects of your creative practice are you excited to share with visitors at Untitled?
My diversity in interests and ways of making. I am always looking to blur the lines between life, art, hobbies, and everything in between. This event has allowed me to do that. I’m excited to see everything come together.
What opportunities has Untitled given you to see your practice in a new way?
It has allowed me to embrace all forms of my interests and bring them together into one large event. I don’t know if it is seeing it in a new way, but the opportunity to have such a large support system and encouraging people who will make things happen is unique and rare. It has also allowed me to do some curating, which I’m starting to really value as an extension of my practice. I love being able to give other people opportunities, and it feels like another form of expression beyond my own work.
What collections/exhibitions are you connecting to for this event, and how are they inspiring you?
I’m directly responding to The Light Show with much of my decision making for the nights activities but also glad Serious Play: Design in Midcentury America is up because that title alone, is suggestive of something I try to do in my work all the time. I use light frequently in my work in all kinds of ways, even using the sunlight to burn constellations onto canvas. I also feel that my best work has a balance of comedy and tragedy within it.
What do you hope visitors will get out of your Untitled event at the Denver Art Museum?
I hope they enjoy themselves and find something that they really connect with. As long as they come away with some sort of positive experience, I will be satisfied.
What surprises are in store for visitors?
If I reveal them here, they won’t be surprises. But, I’m excited to be working with many of the people involved, including students of mine who will be performing using light and shadow. There is also a magician and comedian involved with the evening’s events and they are experts at surprises.
What does a program like Untitled mean to the local Denver arts community?
It certainly helps artists working in the area to be exposed to an extremely large audience. It also helps local artists make and build connections. I’ve had such a positive experience and it is nice to work with our city’s largest art museum.
What’s up next?
I’m always asking myself this. The night after my Untitled, I am part of a show at Redline as both artist and part curator. Beyond that, there are conversations happening for things further out that I don’t even know enough about to share yet.
Where can people learn more about you and your work?
tobiasfikeart.com or following me on Instagram. You can also reach out anytime at tobiasfike@gmail.com
