Timothy Carter is a steel sculptor creating minimal and figurative steel sculpture. Beginning his relationship with steel over eighteen years ago, he developed a deep esthetic connection with the medium. He believes that his art invokes a private conversation with the viewer, elevating the human experience.  His art installations have been viewed all over the globe.  Some of his most prominent work has been installed across the United States and abroad.

In your opinion, what role does the artist have in society?

That’s always a tough question. Because I think the exact answer will always be shifting in response to the current energy of society. There are so many factors like the current political or social state, that are forever reshaping that energy. But right now, I firmly believe maintaining resilience and earnestly creating in response to everything happening right now is so so important. The world feels like it’s on fire, and people sincerely need art more than ever. At the moment, I believe the artist’s role is to be an empathetic and civically engaged conduit for inspiration and education for others.

What themes or concepts do you explore in your artwork, and why are they important to you?

My Art world is past-oriented, I like to fuse it with the reality of our current/modern society. I explore the multiple facets of the human species highlighting the individuals emotions of the characters as well as the representation of the human condition. The complexity of the human being is an indefinite subject and I basically invite people to question the norms and conventions of our society.

Is there a particular message or emotion you aim to convey through your art? How do you hope it resonates with your audience?

My mission is to inspire people to see just how extraordinary nature is in so doing prompt them to wonder, to care and to become actively involved in finding ways of taking care of the planet. I think a lot of people don't respond positively to being given facts and statistics, neither do I think being told by governments what they should and shouldn't do.

Which function does the artist fulfill in society?

Artists serve as storytellers and explorers of the human condition, have fulfilled the important role of challenging societal norms, sparking dialogue, and offering alternative perspectives. They contribute to cultural enrichment and can be a catalyst for change.  transmuting the ordinary into the extraordinary, questioning the boundaries of predetermined values and interconnectedness of ideas. They invite the viewers to shift their perspective, and raise all sorts of philosophical questions about the nature of self, and the existence of a soul.

What does your art aim to say to the viewers?

It’s all about fluidity. Everything flows. Fluidity belongs to the human being, is in our biological composition and in the composition of our society in which we all are immersed. It's about a strong communication system with its own language and infinite ways of expression. It’s about a reality that finds and elaborates its nature in the liquid state of things. We are immersed in it and we’re carried away by the flow of eternal becoming.

What does your art aim to say to the viewers?

My paintings are parables that begin conversations about how our beliefs affect gender roles, social structures, political power, and our relationship with nature. 

People interpret my art from their own perspective, from where it fits into their own reality. It’s subjective and relative to each individual. 

How much planning goes into each artwork?

The balance between planning and spontaneity is one I’m interested in understanding. I found my work was feeling too planned from start, middle to end. So I spend a lot of time thinking about preparing and documenting ideas, but also creating space once something has started. Basically creating a framework for movement, an idea that allows for creative response. I go on regular hikes, taking pictures of things or moments that inspire me. Trying to understand the elements that make up my work. I love making sculptures in my studio using found rocks and objects from my hikes, they might not end up as finished pieces but they allow me to understand more about what I want to achieve in my paintings.

Do you have an essential philosophy that guides you in your creative expression?

Art is all around us. We eat, sleep and drink art every day of our lives. Our clothes are designed by artists, our homes are imagined by architects. Nature is God’s gift of art to us. We need to see it and appreciate it every day of our lives. My goal is to bring that vision about in my paintings.

Spirituality and metaphysics themes are prevalent in many of your works. Can you explain where this interest comes from?

I was inspired by Alessandro Botticelli and Leonardo Da Vinci, as their works transmit a sense of poetic, mysterious and metaphysical meanings beyond the physical forms. The more I study those works, the more details I discover, and the more I am dragged in. I realized that figurative paintings could transcend figurative forms to explore so much more possibilities, not just imitating what we see. A good painting tells its audiences not only to look and enjoy, but also to feel and discover.

How would you describe FOA and how the idea to create it came to your mind?

FOA exists to shine a light on emerging artists through printed books. There's so much great work being made today by undiscovered artists, and our goal is to show their work to the world. I originally got the idea for FOA a year after I graduated from art school. I heard a museum director say that there were no opportunities outside of an academic context, and that statement resonated with me.

What art marketing activity do you put into practice regularly that works most successfully for you?

I try lots of different ways or getting my work out there; entering competitions, renting billboard space (for example we have ArtBelow on the London underground network where you can take advertising space to show your work) or applying to those kinds of opportunities that are a bit more unusual. But Instagram has been the best way to get exposure and connect with people all over the world. For me there is a bit of wariness in putting everything online but Instagram art followers generally seem to be very positive and I get some really lovely comments when I post, it’s great.