#OURPARK2020 ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: ILLUSTRATOR AND DESIGNER TYLER LEMERMEYER
This week, PARK launched the first phase of a multi-faceted year-long campaign — #OURPARK2020 celebrates the local small-business and our creative community in Calgary by spreading positivity and uplifting stories. In partnership with @pattisonoutdoor, we’ve teamed up with a group of local artists and graphic designers to create unique digital murals to brighten up the city’s streets as we slowly work to re-open during the COVID-19 pandemic! Murals can be viewed on billboards across the city and virtually on Instagram and Facebook using the hashtag #ourpark2020.
We are profiling and sharing more about the artists behind each mural — up next is freelance illustrator and designer, Tyler Lemermeyer.
Tyler is an illustrator and muralist living and working in Calgary. He studied at the school formally known as ACAD as well as Vancouver Film School. Tyler has been practicing illustration and design for the past 10 years but more recently began painting murals — you may have seen some of them around the city, most notably for PARK’s #CHROMAYYC and YYC BUMP, which can be found on the exterior of the Hotel Arts. Tyler has since launched his international career, travelling to France last year to work with Tourism France and promote Canadian travel.
“I like to create work that is bright, playful, and fun — something that everyone can connect with on some level.”
What attracted you to PARK’s mural project and how did you develop the initial concept for your piece?
I was attracted to the platform [because I wanted to] share some positivity and create some joy during this pandemic. My initial concept came from something I think a lot of us are guilty of — endlessly scrolling. I found a trend on Tik Tok humourous and I wanted to share that in my own medium. I hope that it makes people laugh and also reminds people to take social distancing seriously.
To add one more sense to it, what music would you pick to accompany your artwork?
Drake — “Hotline Bling”
Bob Seger — “Old Time Rock and Roll”
Jamiroquai — “Canned Heat”
In your opinion, how does this project connect communities across the city and provide a sense of joy?
In my humble opinion, people’s commutes are bland and mundane and I hope these murals break up [some of] the monotony and spark some joy. With all the doom and gloom going on in the world right now, an injection of positivity and creativity is what we need more than ever.
Has COVID-19 impacted your artistic practice or artistic point of view?
This pandemic has presented many challenges, and the best way I’ve found to deal with all of this is to take it one day at a time. I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to work on some projects which have kept me busy, as well as keep my part-time job to help fend off boredom. I had quite a few murals lined up to paint this year, and they have all been cancelled or postponed, which sucks, but [it’s] not the end of the world. There are a lot of people who are a lot worse off, so I feel very lucky to be where I am. We are all in this together, so I draw when I feel motivated to and when I’m not, I play Mario Kart.
Speaking of motivation, what is the hardest or most challenging part of creating new work?
I have created a giant note for myself out of cardboard that says ‘Done, not perfect’, which is a reminder to myself to complete work rather than nitpick and give into my self-doubt. I find if I can move past all that I can create more work and learn from my mistakes.
In all forms of art, inspiration is crucial. What inspires you and how does that end up in your art?
When talking about the inspiration, I often think of the quote by Chuck Close:
‘Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work. If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you are not going to do an awful lot of work. All the best ideas come out of the process; they come out of the work itself.’
However, sometimes I do find that inspiration strikes when I’m away from my studio. Often, taking time to appreciate the beauty in the world that surrounds me gives me the desire to paint or draw, and lucky for me I can document it with my iPhone and have a reference for when I’m in the studio.
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Click here to learn more about #OURPARK2020