Meet Maxwell Roath | Artist & Printmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Maxwell Roath and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maxwell, is there something you believe many others might not?
I have been making art since I was a kid and when I first chose to continue on the artistic path I didn’t know how hard it would be or the level of growth it would demand in order for success. When I was young pursuing art, I felt it was a way to have fun at my job, and to live an unconventional life from the rest of the world. I didn’t want a 9-5, I didn’t want to sit in an office for hours, I just wanted to share new visual experiences that I was having with others. As I have gotten older it has been a way more intensive path. I have to wear a ton of hats in order to make any success happen. Like any small business owner, outside of just creating art and content, I have to do marketing, web design, outreach, business strategy, and social media. I think the oddest part is that all of the art careers that I have seen succeed seem to be somewhat of a fluke. Yes, you definitely need to be creating incredible work and be trying to push the envelope of what you feel your art should be, but it really falls down on who you know and how much you put yourself out there. I had a professor in grad school tell me that art is a war of attrition. Hopefully, artists feel they have the ability to wait out that period of time. Maybe that waiting period will be short and success will come easy. I hope that is the case for a lot of artists out there. I know a lot of talented artists who I thought would make it and fell to the wayside. This career takes an immense amount of strength because not everyone is going to understand what you are doing and it is emotionally draining at times. However, If you continue to love what you make, continue to improve your work, and have the willpower to wait out until you get in front of the right audiences, you can succeed.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My artwork speaks to dream-like states and makes reference to the ominous weight of the past. Through drawings, etchings, lithographs, woodcuts, and paintings, I create work combining humor with nostalgic moments. There is a distinct technical language that each process contains, that I select specifically according to the demands of the project. My art evokes longing, a sense of reflection, and alludes to a world between fantasy and reality grappling with the impermanence of human existence. My pieces’ color choices and energetic atmosphere are influenced by the Impressionists. While my concepts, inspired by the Symbolists, take symbolic objects and motifs to manifest surreal emotions in everyday moments. I explore my own unique experiences in order to share them with the viewer, investigating the overlap of the imagined and the real.

It took a lot of hard work to get where I am today. I felt that the education for art in Colorado was lacking so in order to work towards success I was in an intensive grad school program in New York, I graduated during the pandemic, moved to Santa Fe to make work at the Ryder Studio to continue to grow my artist skills, and now I am at the Tamarind Institute which is the most intensive lithography program in the world. My hope is that continually putting me in tougher and more challenging positions that I have seen what it takes to be successful in the field and I have been setting myself up through an incredible community to make the best work that I can in order to succeed. I finally feel super confident that if I keep grinding away that there is no way that I cannot be successful.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would have to take them to the Buckhorn Exchange. It’s the kind of place that people thought all of Colorado was like before it blew up. One of my favorite places to go is Linger in the Highlands, just a great cocktail bar and the food is incredible. Red Rocks is just an iconic venue so gotta see that, and of course, gotta go see some art at the Denver Art Museum. Maybe solo the second Flatiron depending on how adventurous they are, and go to Pearl Street and the Boulder Tea House, after brunch at Tangerine. RiNo area is a fun area to walk around in and find some cool bars to hit up. Regardless, I have to take them into the mountains.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My career would be nothing without the support of my family and friends along the way. Ian Healy for being an incredible friend and setting me on my current path of development 6 years ago. My mom for both being my biggest support and harshest critic without trying! David Orrin Smith for his incredible energy and sitting down in the trenches with me trying to fight our way to success. Brandon Wheeler for being the most supportive and kind person ever. The professors that have inspired me, Michael Grimaldi, Patrick Connors, JP Roy, John Jacobsmeyer, Collete Robbins, and Tony and Celeste Ryder. All my friends who always had faith in me, Tyler, Derek, Alex, Colin, Kaleb, Brandon B, and a huge list that I could go on forever. Also an incredibly humble thank you to anyone who has purchased art from me and valued my creations enough to put it in their homes!

Website: maxwellroath.com

Instagram: @maxwellroath

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxwell-roath-547a7b18/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8yzyQU37-z5lW9xq8tsjfw/featured

Image Credits
Photo of me printing, credit goes to Josiah www.jozziah.com