In His Own Words: Spencer Herr

We invited a series of designers, artists and outstanding bloggers to write about their vision, work and inspiration and created a new category on Attire Club called “In Their Own Words”. Each week a new person takes the stand and discusses beauty and creativity from their perspective.

For Spencer Herr, art is an act of faith. Being impressed by his painting and by the fact that he truly incorporates the life of the community in his work we asked him to write an article for Attire Club because we wanted to showcase the diverse ways in which beauty flows through our lives. He said yes and took a little time out of his day to share his thoughts on why art is a need and how he lives in a town where all are artists.

A photo from Spencer’s personal albums.

I live and work in Asheville NC. A small city haphazardly stitched into the folds of the Appalachian Mountains. A city with deep roots and a place were we make our own way. We push this narrow path as these mountains always have. Our children are nurtured along with our gardens cheerfully weeding the distractions in favor of ripe living. It’s easy to be an artist here; we all are.

We’re not rich in possessions but are abundantly wealthy in community, new ideas and the ability to trudge through the surface to arrive at what we think to be the truth. My Inspiration lies within the landscape and people who thrive in it. Ideas are openly discussed, critiqued and revised. Which makes “my work” seem more like “our work”. We celebrate human kind and our willingness to suffer for truth. My work attempts to capture the moments when those individual breakthroughs cascade through the distractions drowning others in new insights.

We make art because we believe in it. It’s an act of faith. We spend our life’s energy creating on the assumption that someone will not only find value in it but will reward us with food, clothes, shelter and enough money for materials. It’s a compulsion, a need. We keep pushing and creating and the public keeps supporting us as they always have. Our responsibility is the creation and it’s the galleries responsibility to find it a home. A relationship that allows us to separate our work from the market to ensure our voices remain as authentic as possible.

This community, my family, great galleries, and encouragement from the public and collectors make my work possible and together we will continue to trudge through the surface while I document the breakthroughs.

Spencer Herr