Featured Artist: Cormac Ganshirt

Who is Cormac Ganshirt?

Cormac is a senior at Oliver Ames High School. He started from a young age drawing with pencils. His art is always rebellious and can be found on any worksheet that is handed out in class.

What does Cormac like?

Food: pizza

Dessert: any ice cream with peanut butter

Song: There, there -Raidohead

Artist: eh

Book: A Farewell to Arms

Artwork

Interview

How old are you? Grade? Family?

17 years old, senior,

How did you become an artist? How long have you been practicing?

I started doing art probably around 2nd grade. From that point I think I was always known as the kid who was always defacing every worksheet or piece of printer paper I could get my hands on. As far as I can really discern I drew out of boredom and a desire to create things I could be proud of. I remember in the first grade I was afraid to draw because my older sister was far better than me. Ironically she stopped drawing when I began to eclipse her for the same reason.

What inspires you?

All my art I think really comes from two places; either I thought it would look cool or I’m trying to express a feeling that I have. A lot of the work I’m most proud of originated as an outlet for some emotion that I wanted to sort of “rationalize” on paper.

What is your favorite medium?

I’ve always been most comfortable in pencil as that’s what historically I could get my hands on the most, although more recently I’ve been trying to diversify what I use as much as possible so I don’t get stuck in the color and value confines that graphite is entailed with.

What do you like most about being an artist?

As a means of expression I think art and music are great. To understand or feel an emotion from art takes nothing except looking at it or hearing it. It’s unbelievably accessible and anyone can make it at any time and through some means get something off of their chest and out to someone else. I think it's one of the purest forms of human communication; I can derive so much from even a scribble if the person who made it made it with the intention of expression. Whether it’s a meticulously crafted painting or someone screaming over 808s, I love all art that comes from people, that’s what makes it so expressive as a medium and what makes me enjoy doing it.

Do you want to pursue this in the future?

I think, but in reality I really have no idea. As long as I enjoy it I’ll keep doing it.

What does your art mean to you?

My art is always an attempt to impart part of my mind into a form where I can or maybe other people can read and look at it. The thought of sharing a feeling with a viewer motivates me a lot. If you’re a good artist you can make people feel anything, and to me communication is one of the most important parts of being a person.

What are you working on now?

Currently I’m working on a pen/ watercolor thing where the foreground is a stereotypical family portrait and the background is a huge pile of dead and nightmarish animals. It’s my weird way of addressing egotism and cruel ignorance, as well as being a direct response to one of my pieces being taken off the art Instagram last year as some parents complained it was too provocative. I’m obnoxious.