Interview with NYC Artist Hillel Selznick

Hillel Selznick is an American visual artist. Selznick’s work focuses on the intersection of history and memory. His paintings and drawings investigate the psychology of visual memory and the way in which the past influences our present and future.

Selznick received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the New York University. According to him, art serves as a door to the unconscious, and it is the artist's job to inspire others to look for wonderful things outside everyday routine, returning all the inspiration he receives from the world.

Throughout his academic career, Selznick has honed his craft, forging his own unique style. His work is characterized by the play between figurative and conceptual, the juxtaposition of fine art and pop culture, and the exploration of themes within the visual arts.

Do you remember your first drawing and what it was? Hillel Selznick: It is impossible for me to remember exactly what my first drawing was, since I started doing it when I was very young and I have not stopped until today. What I can assure you is that it was a drawing of a flower, for many years it was the only thing I drew. Without going any further, currently in any paper I find, I still have the habit of drawing flowers.

Is your current career the one you dreamed of having when you enrolled at university? Hillel Selznick: While I was studying at the New York University, I never thought in detail about what my future work would be like, I only had certain notions and those notions were related to working as a full-time artist. Certainly I have been gradually moving away from ilustration to enter more and more into the world of fine art, in fact I have even been recognized as a visual artist.

Without a doubt, I have a job that many would like, many times I find it hard to believe that I get paid to do one of the things I like the most, which is to create art. But not everything is rosy, this discipline also entails on certain occasions a work of great precision under extreme conditions, mainly I refer to executing creative work against time.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the term “artist”? Hillel Selznick: For me, the first thing that comes to mind when I hear “artist” is someone who creates something, either with their hands or with their brain. It could be a painting, sculpture, artwork, etc.

This could be considered the most important factor in becoming an artist: creativity. The ability to create something is what separates artists from people who simply do not create.

What is your art process like? How long does it take to complete a piece of art? Hillel Selznick: My artistic process is very much about the process of making. I don’t think there is such a thing as an individual piece of art, because it’s always changing and going through different iterations. For my latest work, I’ve been producing a lot of drawings that explore the idea of memory more specifically. I had to figure out how to make these drawings with what I know and what I’ve experienced. It was really challenging but really rewarding. The longer pieces are often like archaeological digs, where you want to find things and understand their history, so they take a long time to complete.

I work in a very quick way – it only takes me two days to finish a painting usually – but it can take me up to three weeks to do one drawing because they are so labor-intensive.

What is the most difficult part of being an artist? Hillel Selznick: The most difficult part of being an artist is definitely the financial difficulties. I wouldn’t say it is more difficult than any other profession, but there are many challenges unique to artists. Out of necessity, artists have to be able to adapt and adjust creatively to market forces that they cannot control.

What is your favorite part of being an artist? Hillel Selznick: It’s hard to pick one thing but, for me, it’s the freedom of creation. I get to come up with a plan and execute my ideas however I want.

This is something that many people take for granted because it seems like it comes so naturally to them. But for me, it’s not something that just happens without work. I have to put in a lot of time and effort into planning out what I want to create.

Being able to be creative is a huge privilege, not only as an artist but also as a human being. Being able to imagine what can be and what might be possible in the future is truly thrilling. The idea that you are helping shape the future by being creative is really inspiring.

Where can we find more of your work? Hillel Selznick: You can find out more about my work on my website hillelselznick.com.