Artist Spotlight of the Month: "Rob Czar"

Welcome to Dot Editions “Artist Spotlight” series, where we’ll be interviewing one artist a month and sharing a little about them with you. The team of artists at DOT Editions have collaborated to bring you a monthly celebration highlighting local artists we’ve had the pleasure of working with through the studio. By these artists sharing a bit about themselves we hope to inspire the artist community to keep pursuing their dreams.

Digital Portrait by @alligoodart — Digital Portrait of Rob Czar by @alligoodart

Artist: Rob Czar

Medium: Acrylic and spray paint

Experience: Since I came back to life

1-Q: Where are you from?

A: The birth records all say Miami, Florida so I’m going to go with that. One of the great cultural hotspots of the world but ridiculously hot.

2-Q: How did you end up in Asheville,NC?

A: I’ve been in Asheville for almost a decade. My wife and I took a trip here almost 20 years ago and we swore we’d make it back one day permanently. After years of living around the country for work we finally made it back.

3-Q: How many cities have you lived in and how hard or easy was it to get into the local artist community?

A: I’ve lived in major cities like Miami, LA, and Brooklyn for a good part of my life but didn’t really start my art career till the pandemic a few years ago. But I feel like it’s been pretty easy to navigate the art scene here cause we’re still such a small community. I’ve collaborated with a handful of local artists in the last couple years and everyones been super fun to work with and surprisingly supportive.

4-Q: What do you like to listen to when creating? Do you have any suggestions/playlists to share with us?

A: It’s an eclectic mix. I like to take it back to my angsty teenage years sometimes and blast some Nirvana or NOFX. Other times you’ll walk in on some really dark depressing shit like Godspeed You Black Emperor. I’ll make you a playlist….it gets weird in the studio sometimes.

5-Q: Do you have any kind of routines that help get your creative juices going and ready to create? Please share with us.

A: Can my answer be Drugs? Because it’s drugs. Recreational substances? Hell you can buy mostly everything in a store now.

6-Q: What’s your best advice on how to not procrastinate and get rid of creative blocks?

A: I’ve heard a thousand answers to this question before from other artists, never thought I’d be asked it. But the thing that sticks with me the most is probably just getting out into the world and experiencing some different shit. There’s inspiration everywhere you just have to get up off your ass and force yourself to find it.

7-Q: What does your creative space currently look like? Show us a photo! Tell us what you're working on, if you’d like to share.

A: My creative space is a fucking mess to be honest. I just moved out of my basement and into my very first studio space at the end of last year. It’s overwhelming to have a large space so it feels like I’m working on everything everywhere all at once. I started a bunch of really weird paintings and concept art during the pandemic that I’m just getting back to finishing now. Lots of strange ideas came out of the basement.

8-Q: What is one thing that most people don't know about you?

A: I’m really good at doing the hokie pokie. I usually don’t like to speak about this time in my life as it was difficult and disturbing to say the least. But my very first job in the entertainment industry was at Chuck E Cheese Pizza. Because of my height my boss always wanted me to dress up in the Chuck E Costume for all the parties. So I got really good at the hokie pokie…oh, and the birthday dance. I killed it at the birthday dance.

9-Q: What advice can you give to the artists that are just starting their creative careers? What can they do to help get their work out there?

A: The hell if I know. I’m still just starting my creative career/journey and have no idea what the hell I’m doing. But I learned that in life it’s all about who you know so just make sure you go out and meet a shit ton of people.

10-Q: Did you go to art school or are you self-taught? If you went to school, where? If you didn’t, how did you start and what has helped?

A: I’m a self taught “artist.” No schooling or classes. I don’t know shit all about composition, shadings, colors pallets. But what I do know is how to express myself. And apparently that's the most important part of art, so I do that the best I can using what little bit of artistic knowledge I have. Some real Fake it till you make it shit.