I was visiting Winnipeg in the fall last year to visit different Winnipeg based underground artists. Since I had a little bit of flexible time, I also did a couple of interviews in the off chance I got around to posting interviews again. This is the second of those interviews, the first being the previously posted Nick Burns interview. Robert Pasternak was a name that came up quite a lot in conversations with different artists in Winnipeg. His work is quite imaginative and exists in different facets of his lived experience. His home has 2 rooms on the floor that are dedicated to art making. One one side of the attic is his painting studio, a wide open room with a large canvas and some finished pieces a long the wall. When we go to the other side of his attic, we see his comics studio. This is a crammed space devoted to creating objects that are both fueled by novelty and being explored as ways do demonstrate his present. he creates these small meticulous formal/experimental comics that come rolled up like a candy cigarette in a pack of popeye style package. His work is focused and playful, showing a certain level of restlessness. He’s similar to Seth in that way that he needs to explore these other parts of himself and his memory to create work that infuses all these pieces. I am really glad I took the time to visit Robert and get to see his work and how he works. Winnipeg is a really unique spot for artists. There is still a lower cost of living, which means folks are able to spend more time on their work and less time hustling to find a living. Because of the extreme winter, folks are forced to stay indoors for half the year. There is no option but creation or madness. And sometimes the two dovetail quite nicely.
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