Albert Shivers' passions are easy to detect. Namely the influence of his Grandfather's love of jazz which he obviously passed on to Shivers are revealed in his beloved illustrations, oh and a love of racing. RJGSelect was intrigued by this young man, a self-described artsy, viper NASCAR fan who loves depression era jazz. Shivers traveled from Stroudsburg Pennsylvania to Staten Island on a sleepy Sunday afternoon to attend a jazz talk by the effervescent jazz historian and host of 'Just Coolin', Anthony Bellamy. He shared a selection of his illustrations with attendees to the talk. His illustrations are rife with interpretation of the passion and pain musicians must go through to becom,e masters of their craft.  I was intrigued and wanted to learn more about this Millenia and his motivation and passion as an artist. About some of his paintings I commented "they are scary".  Shivers laughed:  "Frightening is the goal of some of them, ha ha! I need to capture all the emotions of life". 

"In conversation"

What motivates you as an artist?
The work and the process motivates me. Art is something that can give you both quick fulfillments, as well as fulfillment over time. Quick, in terms of a single piece, and then over time watching yourself grow and change over the course of months and years. Another motivator for me is art’s therapeutic qualities. I feel better when I’m doing it, which is that simple.

What’s your process in making art?
My process is fairly straightforward. I figure out what the next project is going to be, and jump right into it. My process also consists of a lot of stopping, staring at the piece, and thinking about my next move. Most of the time you don’t get that opportunity in real life, so I feel you might as well take it when you can in art.

Why do you draw and collage?
I chose to focus on those two media because I gravitated to them most, and it seemed to me my best chance to contribute something unique. In an approach that is hard to explain, I can relate to ink drawings and collage more deeply than other mediums.

Do you remember the first time you took up a pencil?
The first time I drew at all was helping my father do carpentry in his workshop as a very little guy. I grew up around a lot of family who worked with their hands. I like to think that I do also, just a little differently.

Why do you choose one type of ink over the other?
Since my beginnings of making art a full time deal, I’ve tried a ton of different types of inks and papers, and by trying all the brands I settled into what fits my style and hand best. To find something truly comfortable to work with, you need to know what you’re trying to do and how you’ll go about it. Initially it’s trial and error until you zero in on what you’re after.

For your prints which paper do you prefer to print on and why?
The thicker the paper the better for prints in my opinion. I like my prints to be durable.

What do you want people to know about you as an artist?
I would like people to know that my art is an extension of me, and that I hope they can find something in my work that maybe they can relate to and/or be entertained by. Why look at something you don’t like? I want to create art that is interesting and fun to see. It doesn’t always have to be stuffy, and I try to create a balance.

Where are you from?
I’m from Staten Island, NY, but I now live in Stroudsburg, PA.

What can you tell us about the art community there?
I am just getting back into the art world on Staten Island. Where I’m currently living the art community is very small, but I’ve managed to find some amazing artists who I work with.

What are some of the challenges you face as an artist?
I would say my challenges as an artist are not unlike many other artists. There is the whole element of technical and execution challenges, which I enjoy. The actual challenges find me outside the creative process, and how my art enters and interacts with the world. My pieces range from humorous, to musical, to very dark, and I’ve had to make my own paths to be taken seriously with such a wide berth of subjects.

Which artists do you admire and why?
There is an extensive list of artists I admire. Some of them are, Romare Bearden, Robert Crumb, Wangechi Mutu, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Each have their own piece of an inspirational puzzle to me. Overall, I admire artists with a style I enjoy, longevity, and work ethic. Beyond that I find just as much inspiration for visual art in music, film, and real life much of the time.

Is there an anecdote or quote you’d like to share about your practice, the art world or in general?
Yes. “The artist confronts chaos. The whole thing of art is, how do you organize chaos?” – Romare Bearden

RJGSelect wonders if Shivers knows Romare Bearden has roots on Staten Island.