Why D o You Make Art?: The Surrealist Art of Micah Reidlich

The artist Mathiole said, “Art speaks where words are unable to explain.” Every creative person seems to have this connection to their craft. Each individual finds their art to be the best way to express themselves. For me, it’s words. For others, it’s music, and for some, art. One of those people who finds expression in art is Micah Redlich, a freshman pursuing a degree in fine arts.

Background

Micah originally hails from Canada, but recently moved to Oregon. Besides art, Micah enjoys the outdoors, which, like many artists, heavily influences his work. “Nature is basically where I get my inspiration from,” Micah explained. He has always lived in beautiful locations surrounded by forested areas, so it makes sense that it should be present in his imagery. 

His journey as an artist began early in life. He stated that he has basically always had a pencil in hand and is self-taught for the most part, although he has had some influential mentors. One such mentor was his high school art teacher, Mr. Way, who made a large impact on his work. A lot of the techniques he uses now are from him.

Process

Some of his favorite mediums are pencil and acrylic paint; right now he is also experimenting with watercolor. While painting, most artists like to have some background noise when they work: some like podcasts, movies or music. Micah listens to opera while painting. He says, “Mr. Way would always play classical music because it sparks creativity.” He stumbled upon opera as an offshoot from classical music and finds that it helps him focus while he works.

Current art style

Micah said his art changed when he came up with a new character while drawing during church. The drawing was a figure with a cloud instead of a face. This was the inspiration for his first painting. The motif of anthropomorphized animals or heads swapped out for objects occurs a lot in Micah’s art. This gives figures he sketches a unique, surrealist style. His works could be compared to René Magritte’s paintings, such as ”The Son of Man” (the painting of the businessman with an apple obscuring his face). 

Why do you create art?

When asked why he creates art, Micah responded by saying, “It’s just what I’m good at. It is the gift I’ve been given, so I am going to use it.” His response reminded me of the responses two famous writers gave when asked why they write. The poet John Ashbery answered, “Because I want to,” and Flannery O'Connor said, “Because it’s what I’m good at.” If these aren’t great reasons to do something, I don’t know what are.

If you want to see Micah’s work, you can follow him on Instagram: @micahmakesart.

Sierra Lastine is a sophomore

English literature major

from Grand Junction, Colo.