Meet Andrew Travis: On Development Of Personal Expression
Andrew Travis tells the story of his artistic journey and constant search for 'DXPE' (Development of Personal Expression).
Andrew Travis is a local self-taught abstract artist that uses his art as a medium to express his own personal life journal on the canvas. His influences are varied from the natural world, music, and prominent abstract artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Jackson Pollock, but his expression is assuredly his own.
Andrew’s artistic journey began at the age of two, utilizing his “mother’s pots and pans like drums” before receiving his own set for Christmas. From the kitchen, Travis moved on to playing with Paint on Windows XP, where he experimented with “shapes and lines, layering colors of spray paint, and filling in spaces single or multicolored” which is where he discovered his love of working with non-complimentary colors. Through the rest of his childhood, Travis was inspired by family members and his community to explore and experiment with different artistic mediums from drawings of anime and fantasy characters to wood burnings.
“It was until my junior/senior year of college that I began to explore art again with a different passion,” Travis said. “I went to a spirited art class on campus around finals and painted the Chattanooga skyline. I wasn’t a fan of my work.”
“I went back the next semester and made an eight-note; this piece was totally different,” Travis said. “At that moment I realized I might be on to something and I wanted to do more of that.”
Andrew’s love of the abstract grew from here. He wanted to establish himself as an artist “based off [his] thought process and how [he] felt when looking at colors” The personal connection between “The Creator, Drew, the colors, and the canvas” was an integral part of his expression.
“I believe that my artwork is Dxpe, Development of Personal Expression,” Travis said. “The meditation of being Dxpe allows me to feel what I want to express so others can go on a mini journey without leaving their physical space.”
Andrew has participated in a multitude of local shows and showcases. He has been featured in the Incline Art Crawl in St. Elmo, the Spring Art Exhibition: Urban Heartbeat on UTC campus, pieces on display on the 3rd floor of City Hall, and even traveling to Memphis for the annual A.R.T.S Posture. In January of last year, Travis had his first art showcase, “Just Face It” at the St. Andrews center. Travis plans to continue doing local art shows and workshops and hopes that his “art and brand become a household name.”
“The true goal for my artwork is to have a language of its own that speaks to the individual,” Travis said. “Ultimately the goal for self is cultivating the relationship with self, art, and the viewer; in short continuing to be Dxpe”
Check out Andrew's Instagram to see his art and expression and check out his merchandise and original pieces on 3Bridges Apparel’s Instagram.