"I believe that human existence is an incredibly surreal experience." 

Artwork Archive's Featured Artist Maxwell Roath is a printmaker living and working in Denver, Colorado. Maxwell's artwork speaks to dream-like states, making references to the ominous weight of the past.

Through drawings, etchings, lithographs, woodcuts, and paintings, he creates work that combines humor with nostalgic moments.

Each process contains a distinct technical language, which Maxwell selects specifically according to the demands of the project. His art evokes longing, a sense of reflection, and alludes to a world between fantasy and reality, grappling with the impermanence of human existence. His color choices and the energetic atmosphere of his pieces are influenced by the Impressionists, while his concepts, inspired by the Symbolists, use symbolic objects and motifs to manifest surreal emotions in everyday moments. 

Maxwell Roath explores his own unique experiences in order to share them with the viewer, investigating the overlap of the imagined and the real. 
 

Artwork Archive had the chance to chat with Maxwell Roath about his creative process, the advice he has for other artists, and how Artwork Archive helps him manage his studio and art career! 

You can see more of his work on Discovery and learn more about his art practice below.

Maxwell Roath, Seamus Gallagher, 9 x 12 in, 

Can you walk us through your creative process? 

When I begin a piece, I have already thought about it for an extensive amount of time before trying to manifest it in whatever medium seems best to get the point across.

I gather source materials, such as reference photos of myself, set up a still life, or find reference images to start an underdrawing, and then I just start making marks. I believe a piece is finished when I look at it and feel that no further changes need to be made for it to fully communicate what I'm trying to say to the audience. 

Like any job, there are tedious parts, but I try to enjoy as many aspects of the process as possible, stay present, and focus on creating the best work I can.

 

Your work explores the overlap of the imagined and the real. What inspired you to explore these opposing forces in your work? 

I believe that human existence is an incredibly surreal experience.

The longer I live, the more bizarre the world becomes, and that bizarre tone is interwoven with the mundane aspects of being alive.

 So, in my work, I try to explore those moments by recreating how they felt and presenting them to the audience as a time to pause and reflect on how surreal it is to just be alive. 

Maxwell Roath, Headbanging in the Desert, 12 x 16 in

How do you see your art practice evolving in the near future? 

In the near future, I plan to push the colors I use even further and, for lack of a better term, get more, 'weird'.

I want to create odd visual experiences and challenge people to stick with the uncomfortable aspects, reimagining them as beautiful and captivating.

I'll be back in the print shop over the next months to work on a series that has been special to me for the past couple of years. At the same time, I'm also working on a series of large paintings that touch on the past and the present, creating a bridge between the two.

As an artist, I need to evolve to be better and continue growing constantly. I am not in a “final form,” nor do I ever hope to be.

I need to push the boundaries of what I create because, while my work has been somewhat recognized and I enjoy the process, I want it to be more captivating to people. I need to have a deeper dialogue, and I feel like that isn't getting across in my current work. However, the only way to progress is to keep making and experimenting. I hope that by continually pushing myself, I can level up my work while also exposing myself to new markets and people, gaining the exposure needed to make a career out of being an artist.

 

What impact do you hope to have on those who view your artwork?

I hope to capture people in a moment and make them think about how beautiful everyday experiences can be.

I want to open a chakra within them that looks deeper and continues to seek out the vivid and stunning visual experience of being alive.

At the same time, I also just want people to laugh at how absurd it all is.

Maxwell Roath, Establishing a Base, 12 x 16 in.

In hindsight, what’s something you wish you knew before becoming a professional artist? 

In hindsight, I wish I had known how difficult it is to be an artist.

Because art is such a significant part of our everyday lives, everyone will try to assert their opinion on how you should make art and run your business. 

You need to develop a thicker skin and learn to discern which opinions matter to you, filtering out a large amount of bad ideas people throw at you disguised as "advice." 

 

Do you have any rituals or routines to get you in the creative headspace? 

No, not really—I wish I did. I just try to set up my paints, put on something to listen to that will last for a while, whether it's a podcast or music, and focus on staying present during the process.

A good day includes getting some sort of exercise and making sure I've eaten so that my mind isn't distracted by unnecessary physical discomforts when I sit down to work.

At the end of the day, you just gotta make the art, and the longer I stay away from that, the less I get done.

 

Maxwell Roath, Bao Bunnies, 12 x 16 in

Was there a specific instance or time you realized you needed something like Artwork Archive to inventory your artwork and manage your art career? 

I stumbled upon Artwork Archive because it was a recommendation by my art advisor, Corrina Peipon of Continuous Project.

I was hesitant at first, but after uploading some pieces to the platform, it helped me consider aspects of my work that I hadn't thought of before. It also became a great way to inventory pieces I had sold and track data, like how much I had made from sales and keeping information on sales to collectors.

I really appreciate the Exhibitions and Locations feature, which archives where specific pieces have been shown. Instead of just being a line on a CV, I now know exactly where a piece has been, for how long, and whether or not that has been sold.

 

While it may have been serendipitous that I started using Artwork Archive, it has been an invaluable tool in my art practice.

Maxwell Roath in his studio. Photo courtesy of the artist

How do you use Artwork Archive on a daily basis?

As a printmaker, one of the features that has been extremely helpful on a day-to-day basis is the ability to create multiple editions within the Editions tab, as well as track the number of proofs. Since each edition can be sizable, having them laid out in a visually digestible format has made it easier to keep track of individual pieces.

As a one-person operation, being able to archive these editions not only as a unit but also as singular pieces has streamlined a typically cumbersome part of managing such an extensive inventory.

I have also really appreciated the Artist Opportunity Guides. While there are other sites for finding shows and grants, they can be spammed with frustrating, illegitimate opportunities that just take your money without benefiting the artists. It's been awesome to go through pages on Artwork Archive where those don’t appear. 

 

What advice would you give an artist who’s just starting out in their professional career? 

First and foremost, you need to create a compelling, visually stimulating experience for your audience.

However, an even bigger part of being a professional artist involves more than just making art—it includes going to shows, interacting with the community, and marketing yourself, all of which will ultimately help you find success.

Without the marketing component and exposure, you will never be more than a hobbyist.

Maxwell uses Artwork Archive to keep track of his inventory (including his Editions), manage his sales and expenses, find artist opportunities, and a lot more.

You can make an online portfolio, catalog your artwork, and generate reports like inventory reports, tear sheets, and invoices in seconds with Artwork Archive. Take a look at Artwork Archive's free trial and start growing your art business.