Interview with Fine Artist and Teacher Geoffrey Klepeis

“I am a proficient artist specializing in illustration, life and figure painting. Concentrating on the human form, I am fluent with a range of mediums, including oil paint , watercolor, acrylic, drawing and digital media. As a traditionally centered artist, I seek opportunities to use my technical skill and creative ability. I work in the studio in oil, in the classroom as a teacher, and at the computer as a digital artist.” – Geoffrey Klepis
Where did you grow up/currently live?
I was raised and currently live in Calgary, Alberta.

What are your creative mediums of choice?
The 3 primary mediums that I work with are oil paint, graphite, and digital painting in Photoshop.

How did attending Studio Escalier in Argenton-les-Vallées in France come about?
Being a student at ACAD(Alberta college of art and design), I was frustrated that no technical knowledge pertaining to drawing and painting was available to me. In its place was a strict regimen of political art rhetoric with no supplementation to technical art ability. My interest in figure drawing and oil painting was not being accommodated at all, and in its place was apparent political assimilation into a modernist school of thought, whose only advice was to abandon representational forms of art, for ones that focus on political rhetoric. Creating a marketable art gimmick was the focus, and not developing a strong skill set as an artist. This is what led to me researching more traditional forms of art creation, and I found info about Studio Escalier in a copy of American Artist magazine. I was quickly drawn to Ted Seth Jacob’s book “Drawing with an open mind”, and Anthony Ryder’s “The Complete Guide to Figure Drawing”. You see the school of thought revolving around these artists, as well as the teachers at Studio Escalier, is based on the collective knowledge of a wealth of artists, traceable back to Michelangelo. This can be seen in “The Flowering Staircase”, which was assembled by my teacher at Studio Escalier, Timothy Stotz

I would accuse the contemporary system at ACAD of attempting to cut the current generation off at the head, denying it the hundreds of years of collective innovation being handed down by some of the most innovative and inspired artists. In its place is perpetuation of self indulging art stars with no practical abilities, which would explain why after 10 years, only 10 percent of ACAD graduates are even creating art anymore (this is what they tell you at ACAD). So is this an institution that enriches the lives of artists and the art community, or simply the business of issuing worthless paper (diploma’s and degree’s) for a mountain of debt?

Can you tell us a bit about your experience there?
Studio Escalier exposed me to a form of teaching that was quite different than my college experience. A strict schedule of figure drawing and painting infused with contemporary classical knowledge turned even the most amateurs of the group into bearers of classical knowledge and ability. The gentle teaching methods of both my teachers optimized my learning experience, and made the absorption of the knowledge very pleasant and manageable. The small town of Argenton-Les-Vallees was a serene location that was conducive to inner reflection and learning.

What style of art are you a fan of/inspired by?
Well, clearly I am a fan of classical masters, one of my favorites of which is Ingres. I am in love with his smooth turn of the form done in oil paint. I am also a big fan of video game concept art, which operates on the basis of this classical knowledge, because it is based more in representational ability rather than political rhetoric. I am a big fan of old school arcade games, and the type of characters that are present in them. The overt stereotyping and sexualisation that is often the East’s reflection of the West is something I find amusing and fascinating, and something I try to express in my own character’s designs. I find that a lot of contemporary game character designs are watered down, and I would like to bring back some of the old school zaniness that exists in the arcades of the past.

Hows the art scene in Calgary?
When one sees the art scene in Calgary, it is clear what I meant earlier about cutting the art knowledge off at the head. There is plenty of art with representation elements, but nothing that utilizes real knowledge of turning the form or structural anatomy. Therefore even professional art will often have an amateur feel.  Otherwise many of the main galleries will carry a collection of very decorative works, and craft based works. These are often the pieces that have the most professional feel to them. There is also a movement of post-modern artists in the city, using installation and performative mediums. But it is definitely struggling and existing in a larval state.

How is Calgary to live in?
Living in Calgary is all I really know, so I think it’s alright. It’s an oil city with very capitalist values. We are very rich but it seems that wealth is not often seen by those who need it most. The towers get higher and more impressive, but the shadows they cast get larger.

Do you think you would ever move to France?
Seeing as I do have my French citizenship, as well as family in Paris, this could be a real possibility for me. This would depend on my success as an artist in the future.

How do you feel about digital art vs. analog art?
For myself there are more similarities when I pick up a paintbrush vs. my stylus than anything else. When drawing or painting in any medium the same principles of color and form apply. The true differences that exist would be the ones of the politics of reproduction, having a single physical copy of say an oil painting, versus a digital painting which is infinitely reproducible.

What inspired you to teach and can you tell us a bit about your teaching history?
Teaching has been a great experience for me to give young kids some intuitive drawing and painting information. I remember struggling at a young age because of the lack of knowledge and mentorship that was available to me. I think to myself what knowledge I know now that would’ve been an incredible asset to me as a child, and I teach that to the classes I work with.

What are your plans for the future?
I currently operate a long pose figure drawing studio in Calgary (anyone can contact me if you wish to attend). I would like to expand the interest in figure drawing and painting in Calgary, and possibly open a studio downtown for open figure drawing, teaching oil painting and classical techniques, and selling my work. I am also very eager to work as a video game concept artist, but I have found this to be a very limited industry in Calgary. I will keep on working at in, but so long as I live in Calgary I can only hope that the game industry begins to do better.

Tags: Art, Artist Profile, Interviews