The State of the Art
About Ty P Carroll
Born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, 1990, Ty P Carroll moved with his mother and brother to Ohio when he was 7 and has been living in different cities and towns across Ohio ever since. Earning a BFA at The Ohio State University in Art and Technology with an emphasis on computer information science, Ty P Carroll's artistic style combines traditional skills of drawing and painting with 21st century technology to create a new hybrid art form that is a true original not only to Ohio but to the art world at large. With no defined term for this type of art, Ty has coined the term "glitch drawing" for his unique craft. Art changes with the ages so it seems logical that the tools used to create the art would also change. With computers and technology now at the disposal of artists everywhere the only limitation is the imagination and the courage to run with it. Just like the Goosebumps of Seven Springs have taught, no guts no glory.
About the Logo
I have created the logo above to represent my art. It is a modified version of the Carroll family crest, from central Ireland. Within the original design of the family crest are two golden lions in combat, with a sword between them. Having been born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania and living most of my life in the great state of Ohio, I chose Buckeye Scarlet, Pittsburgh Gold, and Black to represent where I come from along with the triple diamond stars as an emblem of my Steel City genesis. Also included in the shield design is the fleur-de-lis to represent my French heritage. Red, black and yellow serve a double meaning to represent my family's German heritage, mimicking the modern German flag. And the golden eagle/thunderbird for my homeland as well as being my favorite animal since I was a child. I packed thoughtful symbolism into this carefully crafted design because this will serve as a badge for my studio and will take form as a personification of my art while retaining my cultural aesthetic. I chose a thunderbird for a multitude of reasons but being an American I wanted to honor and pay tribute to my nation’s native heritage.
Artistic Inspiration
An artist’s inspiration is extremely mercurial and at times difficult to define. Since artists’ inspiration manifests itself through nearly everything in their lives, it can be confusing to on-lookers as to what exactly inspired the artist to create such a piece. Artists go through “phases” in their creative journey and many variables contribute to the direction each “phase” takes. This is why many artists over the course of their lives change subject matter, color pallets, styles, mediums, and even frequency of works created. To see a lack in this is to see a shift in focus by the artist from growth to refinement. These two can help predict what kind of work you can expect from the artist in the near to far-distant future. All the while inspiration is taking different forms to pull the artist in one of these directions.
This section of the website is dedicated to be a form of documentation and analysis of these creative forces and to peer deeper into the beautiful chaos of the artist’s psyche. Just like the changing of the seasons and the shifting of artistic inspiration, this page will be updated to most accurately describe this subject as it relates to my thought process.
I claim to be no great psychologist but I do know best as to why I create the art I make. So please take that into consideration as you read onward and take what comes next with a grain of salt, knowing that opinions and beliefs are the rights of all, always vary from one to another, and have no obligation to fit in your own paradigms.
Primary Drivers
What drives me to create the art? I make art for a lot of reasons, many reasons are rooted in what affects me. Many things affect me every day and in many ways define who I am by how I respond to them. But none usually motivate me more than what negatively affects me. I find ways to channel my discontent, frustration, anger, sorrows, and woes into productive forces of inspiration. The catharsis from these negative afflictions is more therapedic than that which celebrates positive ones. Maybe that says something about me. Maybe I am a pessimist shrouded in optimism. Ultimately, I create art because I simply need to express myself and want to add something new to the world that enriches it. Just like the urge to dance strikes someone, or the urge to speak out against hate or violence, or the urge to do something just because you have the freedom to do so. I create art because it is a part of me and my voice, and I feel like I cannot remain silent in such a turbulent, backwards world that affects me personally, and my community at large. Whether or not you agree with me or if my point of view is deemed valuable is irrelevant because I have something to say that I must say. One of the most important American values is the freedom of speech and artists like myself manifest this freedom every day.
I want my art to express this and help define what the American soul and American art is all about - the peace that we all seek and the struggle we endure to find it. I use this form of human expression as a way to commune with the past that was tragically lost, stolen, killed and as an effort to be apart of the resurgence and revolution of those values. There is something special about this place that the oldest ancestors knew and could feel in their bones. Today, in the midst of a surge in ignorant nationalism within the United States, people are gathering and chanting for the pride of something they do not understand. They do not understand what they are proud of because they do not understand the bloody history of the American story. Cherry-picking the highlights of history is the way history forgets about the atrocities of one culture and begins to celebrate it.
To this day, patriotism, if not entirely, is one step shy of a vanity show of skewed values that have so many flaws that the patriotic refuse to acknowledge to even exist. To be proud of ones country is not criminal, but to forget entire sectors of your country’s history and whitewash the narrative creates a pale, inaccurate, and hollow persona of a culturally rich nation. This does a disservice to all of those that lived here prior to European settlers as well as those whom came after from all parts of the world. Without the help of the natives back in the early days of pioneers, the settler’s history in the Americas would have been a much shorter one. This land had a robust network of nations with skilled tradespeople, leaders, warriors, and artisans creating a culture that was not tied to one tribe, race, or group of people, but to the very land itself, transcending all barriers of social classes and labels long before the continent was even named “America". The true meaning of being an American must reflect on this culture or forever be pretenders of cultures that only have commercial and consumer relevance. America needs to rediscover its heart. What bonds all Americans together is the land, not the color of your skin or your what your salary can buy you. The ancient forests, mountains, lakes, canyons, and valleys are the only link to our ancestors whom lived here before us and the lessons they’ve instilled in our culture; to be stewards of the natural world, to seek harmony with nature, and to respect the Mother Earth that we rely upon for everything.
For these reasons I believe Native American art and culture is more accurately the narrative of the Americas and its people than the adapted history and culture that came after. Timeless, yet so much has been lost or destroyed over time; this continent lacks an identity because of this and has tried to imitate other world cultures in pursuit to discover itself. I am not suggesting people today must forget where their ancestors came before them, but only to reconcile that we are born to an entirely different area of the world and that our culture must unite with the native traditions here. People born in America today will never be European because of this fact. But they will also never be American if they do not respect the native traditions and cultures. They will be like lost children, ignorantly balking about their history they know nothing about. If we do not know who we are and who we were we will never know who we were meant to become. This land is the common ancestor to the indigenous peoples, immigrants and Americana alike. I am not Native American but I love this land like they do. I am witness to its maverick majesty and fierce fighting spirit in its wild animals, natural wonders, and its people.
I feel the Thunderbird is a powerful symbol of this philosophy. Faithful to heritage it embodies the true American Spirit and what it means to be from this land, to respect this land, and to respect its powerful native roots. I have learned through my travels across the North American continent from the Navajo Nation that the Thunderbird is a symbol for many phenomenon and is revered among their mythology and symbolizes life, truth, vigor and natural power. To me, personally, it represents endurance and perseverance which is the true indicator of one’s strength. I hope my art expresses these undertones and communicates the massive complexity of this great world culture that I am indirectly a product of, if not directly descendant from, while adding something new to its grandeur.
